BRS considers Congress as main rival, not BJP, says KTR

Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao will set a record as the 'first South Indian CM' to secure a hat-trick victory by winning 90 to 100 seats in the upcoming Assembly elections this year, said BRS working president and IT minister K.T. Rama Rao.

In an informal chat with media persons on Wednesday on the eve of BRS plenary on Thursday, Rama Rao said there is a clear-cut political vacuum in the country which the BRS will fill in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

He made it clear that the Congress is the BRS’ main rival, and that the BJP will lose deposit in the 100 constituencies in the December 2023 Assembly polls. He categorically stated the BRS will not ally with either the Congress or the BJP in future under any circumstances, adding that both the parties have failed miserably in putting the state and the country on the growth trajectory. Rama Rao slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling him the "most corrupt, inept, inefficient, and incompetent PM" in the country. "The BJP's social presence is low, but its social media presence is high. The BJP's emergence as a powerful political force in Telangana is a fantasy and hype manufactured by the party on social media platforms. The BJP lost deposit in 108 seats in the 2018 Assembly polls and this time it will lose deposit in 100 seats. We consider Congress as our main rival and not BJP," Rama Rao said.

On the TRS's rebranding as the BRS, he remarked, “KCR did this with the aim to introduce the ‘Telangana model’ to the rest of the country and to expose ‘Golmaal Gujarat’. If Narendra Modi can become the PM in 2014 and 2019 by showcasing the “fake Gujarat model, why can't KCR enter the national political firmament by showing the Telangana model”. He stated that Telangana is the only state in the country to provide uninterrupted power supply to all sectors, 24x7 free power to agriculture, Rs 10,000 per acre Rythu Bandhu, Rs 5 lakh free insurance under Rythu Bima, supply treated tap water to every household through Mission Bhagiratha, purchase entire foodgrains for MSP in both kharif and rabi seasons each year, one of the top contributors to India’s GDP, top state in per capita income and per capita power consumption, top state in IT job creation,100 per cent ODF villages and this list is endless. “Can Gujarat model boast of achieving at least one achieved by the Telangana model,” he asked.

Terming Chandrashekar Rao as a successful Chief Minister for two terms who achieved “balances, holistic, integrated and inclusive growth” in Telangana state in the last nine years, Rama Rao said, "Telangana topped in IT exports growth and at the same time topped in agriculture production. Telangana won 30% awards for best villages and at the same time won highest best municipality awards. It witnessed the highest industrial growth. At the same time, Telangana topped the country in increasing green cover through Haritha Haram. Show at least one state which achieved this kind of balanced growth in all sectors."

He went on to say that Telangana state has become a role model in the country and that "this model needs to be introduced to the rest of the country. We have chosen Maharashtra as our first field. We are getting a huge response there. BRS will soon expand to Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and other states." Stating that the party is in no hurry to contest all the 545 Lok Sabha seats, he noted, "This will depend on the political situation prevailing at that time. It took several decades for BJP to increase its tally in Lok Sabha from 2 to 300. We will proceed as per the mood of the people at that time," he stated.

'Myth BJP is a strong political force'

"The BJP's social presence is low, but its social media presence is high. The BJP's emergence as a powerful political force in Telangana is a myth and hype manufactured by the party on social media platforms."

'We achieved balanced growth'

"Telangana topped in IT exports growth and at the same time topped in agriculture production. Telangana won 30% awards for best villages and at the same time won highest best municipality awards. It witnessed the highest industrial growth. At the same time, Telangana topped the country in increasing green cover through Haritha Haram. Show at least one state which achieved this kind of balanced growth in all sectors." said K.T.Rama Rao, BRS working president, minister