Don\'t fall for \'mind games\' on early Assembly polls: TRS alerts sitting MLAs

Hyderabad: The TRS leadership has asked party leaders and cadre not to fall for the 'mind games' being played by Opposition parties which it said were claiming that Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao would dissolve the Assembly any time and force early elections as he had done in 2018.

According to party sources, the leadership is trying to clear quell the apprehensions of the party leaders, especially the MLAs, as the talk of 'early polls' is spreading like wildfire within the party circles. No interaction between any two or more leaders in TRS was not ending without the talk of early polls, it was stated.

The leadership is putting out the message that the mind games are part of the Opposition's strategy to create confusion in ruling party ranks, demoralise leaders and cadre.

Social media platforms are flooded with posts stating that the TS Assembly polls will be held in December this year, a year in advance, along with Gujarat. About 50 TRS MLAs will be denied tickets, it was stated, causing more anxiety among the legislators and their supporters.

A purported list of these 50 MLAs who include ministers is also being circulated widely on social media platforms, further adding to their tensions.

The party leadership is telling its ranks that the government needs to complete its full term to fulfil its pending major poll promises of 2018, mainly Rs 1 lakh crop loan waiver scheme, Rs 3,016 per month unemployment allowance, job notifications to fill 80,000 posts, Rs 5 lakh financial assistance to each poor family to construct its own houses, and lowering the eligibility age for Aasara pensions from 65 years now to 57.

The party says it could not implement these measures due to the Covid-19 pandemic and string of elections.

BJP Telangana president Bandi Sanjay and TPCC chief A.Revanth Reddy have been talking about early polls for long. But the issue gathered heat when Union home minister Amit Shah mentioned it during his meeting with state BJP leaders on Tuesday in Delhi.

Following this, TRS president and Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao has started assuring his ministers, MLAs and senior party leaders that there is no scope for early polls. He asked them to remain in public and focus on the development of their constituencies for the
remaining two years.

Party sources said Rao reportedly told the MLAs that he would bear the responsibility of ensuring their victory in the 2023 polls. He also told them that he had so plans to replace MLAs except in five or six seats as was done in 2018.