Prime Minister's Position is Not Vacant, Says Amit Shah

Hyderabad: Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that it was high time that Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao’s car, alluding to the BRS’ election symbol, was dumped into the garage, once and for all. Shah told voters that a step towards this would be to give a huge mandate to BJP candidate Etala Rajendar.

“Ensure Rajendar’s resounding win to send across a loud and clear message to Rao. Any vote for Congress will eventually go to the BRS kitty. If you wish to change the government, vote for BJP. Voting for Congress and the BRS will be a continuation of family rule,” Shah while addressing a public meeting in Huzurabad.

Alleging that the Congress and the BRS had a tacit pre-poll understanding, Shah claimed that the Congress would support Rao to become Chief Minister, who, as thanksgiving, would help Rahul Gandhi become Prime Minister.

“The PM post is, however, not vacant. The Congress, BRS, and the MIM are all family parties and corruption is endemic in family-run parties. A vote for them will give fillip to corruption and appeasement politics,” Shah said.

Reiterating the party’s promise, Shah said a candidate from the Backward Classes community would be Chief Minister if the party won the polls. He said that the BJP, on forming a government, would withdraw the four per cent reservation for Muslims and extend the quota to the SC, ST, and BC communities.

He also said that the BRS government was not celebrating Telangana Liberation Day, to mark the anniversary of the erstwhile Nizam state merging with the Indian Union on September 17, 1948, as an official function celebrated fearing the wrath of MIM president Asaduddin Owaisi, he said. The Centre started celebrating the day two years ago.

“While the UPA government at the Centre had given Rs 2 lakh crore to undivided Andhra Pradesh in 10 years, the NDA gave Rs 2 lakh crore to Telangana after its formation in 2014,” he said to illustrate the Centre’s support to Telangana.

“VAT will be reduced on petrol and diesel in the first state Cabinet meeting, input subsidy of Rs 2,500 will be given to farmers, MSP of Rs 3,100 will be given for paddy, a National Turmeric Board will be established in Nizamabad and all farmers will have crop insurance,” Shah said of what the BJP was offering.

He said households would get four free gas cylinders and health insurance cover if Rs 10 lakh.

Shah assured that the sub-categorisation of reservations for the Scheduled Caste communities would be completed, and the Madiga group would get its due share. He promised to exempt Singareni coal mine workers from paying income tax.

“We will ensure free travel to senior citizens to visit the Ram Mandir after the consecration of the idol on January 22, 2024”, he said.

Speaking at the event, Rajendar said, “Rao tried to demoralise us. Unlike other MLAs, I was not allowed to sanction schemes, and protocol was not followed. We should only aim to unseat him, and his aim is to defeat me.”

“I call on my opponents to look at the roads and other development works taken up by me. Rao grabbed lands of the poor in Gajwel, which has affected 30,000 farmers.”

Later, addressing road shows in Mancherial and Peddapalli, Shah reminded the people that the MLAs who were elected on the Congress ticket had joined the BRS in 2014 and 2018.