KCR tears into Maha govt, challenges Fadnavis to adopt TS-model

HYDERABAD: Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao on Sunday announced that the BRS will contest the upcoming panchayat samithis and zilla parishad elections in Maharashtra, marking the party's foray into electoral politics outside Telangana for the first time after the TRS rebranded itself.

When speaking to a large gathering in Kandhar Loha in Nanded on Sunday, Rao launched a scathing attack on Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, demanding that the government adopt the Telangana development model and the pro-farmer schemes that are being implemented here.

He threatened to launch protests in Maharashtra if the government failed to introduce Telangana-style pro-farmer schemes.

Rao has challenged the Maharashtra government to restrict his movement in the state, claiming that as a citizen of the country he has the right to visit any part of India campaigning for farmers' concerns and rights. Further, Rao vowed to continue touring Maharashtra until farmer-friendly schemes were implemented.

"Fadnavis remarked that I should take care of Telangana, and that what business I have in Maharashtra. I want to make it clear to him that I am an Indian citizen and I have work everywhere. If Fadnavis assures he will to implement the Telangana model of giving Rs 10,000 per acre per year, 24x7 free quality power, free irrigation water supply, Rs 5 lakh insurance coverage to farmers and purchasing all the foodgrains for MSP, I will stay away. If Fadnavis assures me to fulfill these five issues raised by me, I will not come to Maharashtra," Rao stated.

The CM stated that his first visit to Nanded last month on February 6 had resulted in the Maharashtra government earmarking '6,000 per acre per farmer in the Budget, and that they will get more such benefits if they support and strengthen the BRS in the sstate.

But, he said, this was insufficient. “It's like throwing water on a fire. We want farmers in Maharashtra to be given financial assistance of '10,000 per acre every year, as the Telangana government does.  I've only been here once, and the Maharashtra Budget included a provision to provide each farmer '6,000 per year. Why had this not been done before? You will receive additional benefits as I visit here in the coming days," Rao promised, drawing applause from the audience.

The CM blamed the successive Congress and the BJP governments at the Centre for the plight of farmers and people. "In the last 75 years of Independence, the Congress ruled for 54 years and the BJP for 16 years. Other parties ruled for five years in between. Both the Congress and the BJP failed to utilise the country's abundant natural resources. They miserably failed in ensuring adequate power and irrigation to farmers despite abundant availability of water and coal in the country," he remarked.

Stating that Telangana's condition was even worse than Maharashtra at the time of the formation of the state in 2014, Rao said, "Farmers were dying by suicide in Telangana in large numbers. But we launched several welfare schemes and made agriculture profitable. If Telangana can improve, why can a state like Maharashtra which has more resources, cannot improve? There is no dearth of ‘dhan’ (money) in Maharashtra. But there is a dearth of 'mann' (heart)."

Reiterating the BRS slogan of  ‘Ab Ki Bar, Kisan Sarkar’ slogan, Rao appealed to the people to ensure a change in the Central government in 2024.