Revanth Dares KCR to Contest from Gajwel

HYDERABAD: “If the BRS government is confident that it has delivered on all its promises, and the people of the state are happy with its performances, then Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao should contest the ensuing Assembly elections from Gajwel and all its sitting legislators should be fielded again,” said TPCC president A. Revanth Reddy here on Saturday.

Stating that a survey commissioned by the ruling party had said that 80 of their MLAs, including Chandrashekar Rao, would lose, Revanth Reddy reiterated that it was the Congress that assured free power besides waiving of all pending electricity dues.

"We could not implement our promise in 1999 as we were in the opposition with 90 seats. Even as the drought-hit farmers were unable to pay their electricity bills, the then TD government filed criminal cases against them. We mobilised thousands of farmers along with the left parties. Firing on farmers in Basheerbagh killed three protestors," he said.

Recalling the early days, he said that even when he was with the TD, Chandrashekar Rao was against providing free power. It was Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy who stood by the farmers for whom he okayed the free power scheme and waived Rs 1,200 crore dues besides withdrawing 25,000 criminal cases against farmers."

Responding to comments that he was part of the TD, which resorted to firing on farmers, he said, "The present council chairman Gutha Sukhender Reddy, Assembly Speaker Pocharam Srinivas Reddy and Chandrashekar Rao were responsible for it. I was not even in the TD at that time. If the government is confident that they have provided 24 hours power they should keep log books at the power substation. Our leaders Komatireddy and Jeevan Reddy have exposed the failure of BRS on this score."

Ideally the Council Chairman and Assembly Speaker should stay away from political comments and maintain decorum but Sukhender Reddy is keen to get an Assembly seat for his son and is hence trying to please Rao, he said.