No truck with Telangana Rashtra Samithi, says Amit Shah

HYDERABAD: BJP president Amit Shah on Saturday said that caretaker Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao was going for early polls not in the interests of Telangana state but in the interest of his family. Addressing a press conference at the state BJP office, Mr Shah launched a scathing attack on Mr Rao and said that the TRS government had failed on all fronts and could not fulfil the promises made during the 2014 polls.

Mr Shah said BJP will fight elections like a battle in Telangana state and contest all the 119 seats on its own. He asked Mr Rao to explain why he was imposing unnecessary expenditure on the people by going for early polls when the state had the option of going for joint polls to the Assembly and Lok Sabha in May 2019. Mr Shah specifically questioned Mr Rao on his reasons for changing his stance on joint polls within a month of supporting it before the Law Commission.

“Mr Rao is afraid of defeat if elections are held in 2019. That’s why he is going for early polls. Those who cannot win in 2019, how can they win in 2018,”  Mr Shah asked rhetorically. Mr Shah called Mr Rao the “superstitious CM” who avoided the Secretariat and indulged in “vote bank and appeasement politics” by promising 12 per cent quota for Muslims, despite being fully aware that it was unconstitutional and impossible to implement.

Mr Shah asserted that BJP and Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi were sincere and committed to the development of Telangana and had released Rs 2.3 lakh crore to TS in four years while UPA Government had given just Rs 15,000 crore. Mr Shah also criticised on Mr Rao for not keeping his promise of making a Dalit as the first CM of Telangana in 2014.

“He might have forgot his promise but Dalits have not. They are angry with him. Let us forgive him and assume that he did a mistake in 2014. I ask him to give clarity at least now and let the people know whether he will make a Dalit as CM if TRS wins 2019 polls,” Mr Shah remarked. Mr Shah also slammed the alliance between TRS and MIM. “Both are trying to bring back Razakar rule in Telangana; BJP will resist any such attempts made by them,” he said. He said if 12 per cent Muslim quota is implemented, it will adversely affect the Backward Classes.