Siricilla Rajaiah: Won't fight Assembly elections

WARANGAL: Congress former MP Siricilla Rajaiah, who stayed out of the limelight after facing allegations of abetting the suicide of his daughter-in-law and three grandsons in 2016, addressed the press on Monday.

Rajaiah had been suspended from Congress party following the allegations and the suspension was revoked earlier this year. 

Speaking on the occasion, he said he was not willing to contest the upcoming Assembly polls but would be ready for the Parliament elections should the party give him a call. He appealed to the party cadre to stay together and work for the party’s victory. He said the party workers must support the party’s declared candidate, no matter who it might be. 

He said the people of Telangana had faith in the Congress party because it kept its word and worked towards carving out a separate Telangana state.

Recalling how the Congress party had convinced other parties in the Parliament to pass the Telangana bill, he said it was he who had pleaded with Sushma Swaraj, the Leader of the Opposition in the House, and convinced her to support the bill. 

Referring to the early polls forced by the TRS government, he said TRS chief K. Chandrashekar Rao had no solid reason why he decided to suspend the Assembly nine months prior to the completion of its full term. He said the reason KCR gave, that the opposition was creating problems for the government, was foolish. “When there is a government, there will be an opposition and they will criticise and remind the government of its duty. After all, that is the role of the opposition,” he said. 

He mentioned several promises KCR had broken during his tenure, including loan waiver, three-acre land distribution etc. and said the people in the state had lost faith in the TRS and would drive it away in the upcoming polls.