K Chandrasekhar Rao fears loss in rural polls, says Congress
The party said the CM received intelligence reports that the public were angry at the TRS for its misrule during the past four years.
Hyderabad: The Congress on Saturday alleged that Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao deliberately postponed panchayat elections, as he was afraid of facing any polls before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
The party said the CM received intelligence reports that the public were angry at the TRS for its misrule during the past four years and they were ready to teach it a fitting lesson if panchayat elections were held at this stage.
Congress MLA T. Jeevan Reddy said, “Since the CM knows very well that the TRS will lose the panchayat elections, he conspired to postpone the elections. He passed a faulty new Panchayat Act in the Assembly without consulting anyone and by suspending the main Opposition Congress for entire Budget session. The reservations policy in the new Act is also faulty. The CM knew very well that this Act would face legal issues and elections will be halted if someone approaches court. The elections have now been stayed over reservations issue.”
Mr Reddy said the CM was afraid that any loss in panchayat elections before 2019 general elections would have adverse impact on the TRS prospects. “Several ministers and MLAs in TRS are already looking at other parties for tickets as they are not confident of the party's victory in the 2019 elections. If TRS loses in panchayat elections now, it would be difficult for KCR to stop migration of their leaders to other parties. For these political reasons, he stalled the panchayat elections,” he said.
The legislator said the TRS government had weakened the rural local bodies by not releasing a single rupee in these four years and forcing them to depend only on Central funds. He also questioned the status of schemes announced by the CM for development of villages .