It will be TRS vs Maha Ghatiya Bandhan, says K T Rama Rao

Hyderabad: The upcoming Assembly elections will be a battle between the Telangana Rashtra Samiti and the Maha Ghatiya Bandhan (alliance of dirty parties), IT and Industries Minister K.T. Rama Rao said in an exclusive interview with Deccan Chronicle at his camp office in Begumpet on Tuesday.  The tech-savvy minister and son of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao is the man calling the shots now. He is confident the TRS will hit “a century” by winning 100 of the 119 Assembly seats. A feat that will be remembered in Telangana’s electoral history as a “one-sided war”, he asserted.

The elections will be a golden opportunity for all Telangana people to deal a deadly blow with a single vote to two “anti-Telangana parties”, the Congress and TD, which he alleges joined hands to keep the self respect and pride of Telangana at the feet of ‘Delhi and Amaravati’ rulers. Referring to criticism from the Opposition that dissolving the Assembly and calling for early elections was aimed at ensuring his father stayed on as Chief Minister, Mr Rama Rao said this thinking gives a clear indication that the opposition has already conceded defeat by admitting that the TRS is going to win. 

Scotching rumours that he may be the next Chief Minister if the party returns to power, he said there is no vacancy for the CM’s post in the TRS and the people of Telangana, including himself, want Mr Chandrasekhar Rao to continue as CM at least for another 15 years. He ruled out having any truck with the  BJP, MIM or any other party. 

In a no-holds barred exclusive interview to the Deccan Chronicle, IT and industries minister K.T. Rama Rao, on Tuesday, said the upcoming Assembly elections will be a battle between the Telangana Rashtra Samiti and the Maha Ghatiya Bandhan (alliance of dirty parties)

Excerpts from the interview:

Q How do you see the prospects of the TRS in the Assembly elections?
A: There is not an iota of doubt that the TRS will hit a century by winning 100 seats. We missed a century by a run in the 2016 GHMC elections, when we won 99 seats, which itself is historical. 
This time, we will hit a ton comfortably.

Q Are you satisfied with the performance of the TRS government in the first term?
A: Though the government is formed for a five-year tenure, our net period in power was for only three years. This is because in the first year of our tenure, we could not do much due to pending state-bifurcation issues. We dissolved the Assembly almost a year in advance, leaving us with only three years of tenure. Despite this, the TRS government took up revolutionary measures in putting the newly formed state at No1 position in various spheres.  We implemented over 450 types of welfare and other schemes for all sections of people and the all round development of the state, which is unprecedented for any government. People endorsed this by ensuring a thumping victory for TRS in different elections held on different occasions.

Q If the going was so good for the TRS government, why call for dissolution of the Assembly and early polls?
A: When we formed the first government in Telangana in June 2014, we strongly believed that the first five years were very crucial to lay solid foundation for the new state, like the initial years in case of a toddler, and all our plans and programmes were planned and executed in that direction. But unfortunately, the opposition parties, especially principal opposition, the Congress, could not come to terms with the fact that the TRS won the elections. They started stalling each and every scheme or programme taken up by the TRS government. Over 186 cases have been filed in courts against irrigation projects. They started abusing even my young children. 

We believe that this bitterness, these vitriolic attacks, will only increase as elections approach. They stooped so low. The TPCC chief Uttam Kumar calls me a dishwasher in the US. This bitterness and nonsense had to be stopped somewhere and will become even uglier as elections near. Then we decided, instead of name calling and indulging in tu kitna, mai kitna, let’s go to the people and let them decide who should rule. That’s why we dissolved the Assembly and gave up power before nine months to shut them up and teach a fitting lesson once and for all. 

I request Telangana people to compare and contrast the 67-year misrule of the Congress and TD governments and the four-year rule of the TRS.  I am glad that the Congress and TD have come together because people now have a clear choice to select between them and the TRS.

Q Why did the TRS make a U-turn on the issue of simultaneous Assembly and Lok Sabha polls? KCR himself gave a letter to the Law Commission supporting joint polls. 
A: I see nothing wrong in going for early Assembly polls. It’s true that the TRS supported joint polls. But the CEC and other legal experts stated that joint polls are not possible unless the Constitution is amended. Since joint polls were ruled out in the near future, we took the decision to dissolve the House. Moreover, early dissolution of Houses is nothing new. Narendra Modi as Gujarat CM dissolved the House in 2002, about nine months in advance.

Q What will be your main poll plank?
A: Obviously, KCR will be our main poll plank. We urge voters to bring KCR back to power to take forward the welfare and development programmes he has initiated in these four years for another 10 to 15 years to achieve the dream of Bangaru Telangana.

Q The TRS is said to be interested more in welfare or populist schemes, which fetch votes but has neglected creation of infrastructure such as roads and flyovers. The pathetic condition of roads is seen everywhere in the city.
A: I strongly disagree with this criticism. In fact, the TRS is accused of spending more on irrigation, roads, flyovers, drinking water etc. More roads and highways were laid.  I admit bad roads in Hyderabad. But I am looking at long-term solutions rather than short cut methods. In the city, the extent of roads is around 9,000-km. We have dug up half of these roads for laying Mission Bhagiratha pipeline, underground drainage, sewage system, cabling works etc. The restoration of these roads is challenging, but it’s going on. Unless the sewage and drainage system is improved, the condition of roads will not improve. If water stagnates, the roads will again get damaged. In our second term, we want to spend Rs 50,000 crore in three years for infrastructure development in the city.

Q The TRS is accused of neglecting its major poll promises of 2BHK houses for poor, jobs for youth, land for dalits and increased quotas for Muslims and STs.
A: We have promised to construct 2.60 lakh houses for the poor, which are under various stages of construction, and we will certainly reach the target by June 2019.  On jobs, we filled over 40,000 vacancies in four years, while the Congress could fill not even 10,000 posts in ten years from 2004 to 2014.  Land for dalits is a continuous process and 15,000 acres has already been distributed. We passed an Act enhancing quotas for Muslims and STs but the Centre blocked it. How can we be blamed for this?

Q Every party criticises the TRS for bringing family rule to Telangana. How will the TRS counter this?
A: KCR, myself, Kavitha and Harish are elected by the people. We have not got here through the back door. If opposition parties do not want us to rule, they are free to file candidates against us and campaign in Gajwel, Siddipet, Nizamabad and Siricilla. When people have voted for us and elected us, why this grudge against KCR and his family? We all have participated in the Telangana agitation, faced police lathi-charge, police cases, court cases etc. Do they mean that KCR and his family members are suitable only for taking up agitation programmes and not fit to rule?

Q Surveys point out that a large number of sitting MLAs are facing the anti-incumbency factor. Yet the TRS has opted for all sitting MLAs for the coming elections. Also, there are reports of severe dissidence and rebellion in several constituencies after the list of 105 candidates was released. 
A: We strongly believe that people vote for the TRS to make KCR the Chief Minister. They don’t look at candidates. The dissidence and rebels issue is quite common in any party. Time will sort out all these issues. In our victory, KCR’s charisma and hard work will contribute 80 per cent, while candidates’ contribution will be only 20 per cent, including myself.

Q The TRS is accused of setting dubious standards in Telangana by encouraging defections from all parties.
A: Earlier, we were a Telan-gana movement party. After Telangana state was achieved, we are now a pucca political party. It’s common for any political party to weaken rivals and become stronger. If leaders from other parties want to join us on their own, how could we stop them? There is no pressure on anyone to join the TRS.

Q Is there a power struggle between family members in the TRS?
A: I am fed up of answering these questions for the past four years. Myself, Harish, Kavitha and others in the family enjoy cordial relations. None of us has any personal ambitions. We all work as per the directions of KCR. We are all ready to work under anyone as directed by KCR.  The Opposition which have no issues to take on the TRS are raising these issues to bring a rift in the family But their dreams will never come true.

‘Rahul not fit for elected office’
Minister for IT and Industries K.T. Rama Rao says, “But for the surname, I don’t think Rahul Gandhi is qualified to hold any ceremonial position or elected office.”
He lashed out at Congress and BJP leaders, who have been levelling accusations of nepotism and prolonging family rule in Telangana State. “I think Congressmen know better than me. When I have conversations with them they tell me the same (about Rahul Gandhi, the AICC president). If they accuse (us) of family rule, see whose talking about it. If Congress party talks about it that has to be one of the biggest jokes on them because Rahul Gandhi, of all people, should think twice before talking about family rule,” he remarked.

On Rahul Gandhi saying that no one in his family became PM after Rajiv Gandhi, Mr Rao said it’s the people who decide. “He is not an Emperor to rule over his subjects. I think that’s his ignorance. India is the world’s largest democracy. People are choosing and choosing wisely. Rahul’s family is kept out and that’s India’s choice.” “There could be 50 odd families in the State legislature in Telangana but only KCR’s family is a problem. KCR and his family members have been voted by the people of Telangana. Why should anybody have a problem with that?”

He said the Congress had made Telangana martyrs its agenda. But, he asked, “Who made them martyrs? Mara kisne? Jo aadmi marta hai woh hi martyr ka agenda leke ghumta hai. Jo murder karta hai woh hi khud ake solidarity dikhata hai unke saath. Yeh kahan ki neeti hai. (A party which killed martyrs carries their agenda. A person who murders, himself expresses solidarity with the victim. What kind of policy is this?) Telangana Congress talking about martyrs is akin to murderer paying homage. Therefore the Congress should think twice about what it states and what it stands for,” he said.

‘No vacancy for CM’s post’
Putting all speculation to rest, Minister for IT, Industries, Municipal Administration and Urban Development, and NRI affairs, K T Rama Rao, on Tuesday asserted that there is “no vacancy” for the Chief Minister’s post in Telangana State. “Our Chief Minister is Sri K Chandrasekhar Rao. I would want him to continue as Chief Minister definitely and people of Telangana want him to continue as Chief Minister for the next 15 years. So I definitely believe the seat is not vacant for anybody, not for me or somebody else. The seat is not vacant and will not be vacant as long as people of Telangana want,” he told Deccan Chronicle.

He was replying to a question asked by top leaders like BJP president Amit Shah who alleged that the early election was called in order that K.T. Rama Rao would be made CM and K. Chandrashekar Rao would shift to national politics. “That means they are conceding already that TRS is going to win and win emphatically. They are saying TRS is going to win and somebody is going to become Chief Minister irrespective of who they name. They are admitting to the fact that they are losing,” he remarked.