Dissolve Assembly, we’re ready for polls, says BJP

HYDERABAD: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday welcomed Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao’s challenge to go for immediate elections in Telangana, with the party’s state in-charge and national general secretary Tarun Chugh saying “good things must happen quickly".

In response to Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao's challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to announce dates for early elections in Telangana, Tarun Chugh demanded that the ruling dispensation dissolve the Assembly and call for elections to seek a fresh mandate.

Chugh, however, asserted that the Chief Minister's demand that the BJP decide the dates was unconstitutional.  “The Election Commission will decide the dates. The BJP is ready anytime, even if the elections are held 15 days from now. The BJP demands that KCR initiate the process,” Chugh said.

He claimed that the Chief Minister was nervous and shaky, and was clearly rattled by the overwhelming turnout for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s public meeting on July 3 in the city. The Chief Minister and his entire family watched the Modi public meeting, and he is able to sense the enthusiasm and exuberance among the public, Chugh said.

In response to the Chief Minister's remarks that the Prime Minister is "one of the weakest in post-independence history of India”, Chugh asked, “How is he weak? Is he weak because he administered 200 crore vaccinations in a record time, which even the super powers couldn’t do? Is he weak because he temporarily halted a conflict between Russia and Ukraine in order to save Indians? Is he weak because in Telangana itself he has freely distributed food grains to 1.92 crore poor people?”

In a tongue-in-cheek remark, Chugh said, “I agree with Chandrashekar Rao that Telangana is number one. It is number one for infamous reasons. It is number one in registering a higher crime rate, especially in POCSO cases. While the national average is 28.9, Telangana registered an average of 36.9, which is higher than for other states. It is number one in landing surplus states in debt traps. Telangana began as a rich state in 2014, and the debt now is about Rs. 3,29,000 crore, which is almost 25% of the state's GSDP.”

He said, the facts are before the people, and they will decide who is strong and who is weak. Meanwhile, the Chief Minister should focus on the problems of people and farmers who have suffered due to the incessant rains in Telangana and inundation. “I request KCR to start expediting relief and rescue activities in the rain hit areas. For politics, we have a lot of time,” Chugh remarked.