KT Rama Rao woos Seemandhra voters with promises' galore

Hyderabad: TRS will make a foray into AP as the “Telugu Rashtra Samiti” and IT minister K.T. Rama Rao will contest from Bhimavaram. He also has a foolproof plan to win – legalise cockfights.

The IT minister himself said this, though in jest. This is the TRS’ new style of wooing Seemandhra voters of Hyderabad ahead of the GHMC polls.

Mr Rama Rao, along with TRS Greater Hyderabad president M. Hanumantha Rao, MLA Krishna Rao, and others addressed a late night meeting in Kukatpally recently that was attended by members of the Raju community and others from Seemandhra.

While seeking the support of Seemandhra voters, Mr Rama Rao narrated a story about Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s visit to Amaravati and the response from people there. “A day after the CM’s visit to Amaravati to attend the foundation stone laying function on the invitation from AP CM Chandrababu Naidu, I came across an AP minister who is a good friend of mine. He said he was surprised that ‘your fellow (Mr Rao) got more applause than our fellow (Mr Naidu)’,” Mr Rama Rao said.

He then floored the audience by adding, “I told him we were changing the name of our party from Telangana Rashtra Samiti to Telugu Rashtra Samiti and would be coming soon to their state. If it happens, I have also selected my constituency. I will contest from the Bhimavaram Assembly constituency. It’s easy to win there. It’s a simple trick. All you have to do is legalise cockfights.”

Mr Rama Rao added that he had many friends who went to Bhimavaram to see cockfights.

Heaping praises on the Kshatriya community, he said the community was known for its hospitality. “They will provide sumptuous food. You will fall flat with their love and affection. You will return home adding two or three kilos.”

“Before changing the name of the party, will KTR change Telangana Bhavan’s name to Telugu Bhavan? During the last general elections, TRS leaders had derided Seemandhra people, called the TD “Andhra Party”. They are now trying to woo them in view of the GHMC polls. We will welcome KTR if he decides to contest in AP,” said TD working president A. Revanth Reddy.