TRS downfall begins with Huzurabad defeat: Sanjay

HYDERABAD: Every political watcher in India will agree with the point the BJP in Telangana has been making for years now – the TRS led by K. Chandrashekar Rao is the most corrupt politician in the country ever, alleged BJP president Bandi Sanjay Kumar on Saturday.

Talking to Deccan Chronicle while watching the news unfold of rapidly rising voting percentage across Huzurabad Assembly constituency, and taking alerts from leaders and activists on the ground, Sanjay asked, “Is there any party or leader who can spend between Rs 6,000 and up to Rs 20,000 per vote in an Assembly constituency for a bypoll? Add to it hundreds of crores already spent during the last five months of the campaign.”

“KCR’s greatest achievement is to have pioneered the practice of hiring a private agency to distribute money to buy votes for the first time in India. This will be his lasting legacy when his career ends in 2023,” said Sanjay.

Predicting a humongous victory for BJP candidate Etala Rajendar, Sanjay said, “People have understood that the primal reason for KCR’s arrogance is the money he has earned through corruption. KCR has succeeded in the past purchasing MLAs for Opposition parties, luring leaders at different levels but is now set for a state-wide downfall because the self-respecting people won’t sell their souls or votes.”

Having brought the party to a tipping point of popularity from virtual electoral oblivion after taking charge as state unit president, Sanjay is working on the second phase of his padayatra.

“Even while we are campaigning for Huzurabad, we have been focussing on organisational growth. The BJP strength is growing across all 119 Assembly segments. Every section of society is joining us. You would be surprised to know that after I declared that we will not be afraid to contest elections with support of over 80 per cent of Hindus, thousands of Muslims, from progressive liberals and intellectuals to women, are migrating to the BJP,” he said.

When quizzed about farmers’ issues, including the ban on sowing of paddy, the declarations by Siddipet district collector P. Venkatrama Reddy that he would not allow sale of paddy seeds even if the Supreme Court or Telangana High Court gives a directive to the contrary, the BJP state chief said, “The arrogance of KCR and his son and other family members has now percolated across the party and government. They treat common people like dirt. They have contempt for courts and democracy. We will fight against the undemocratic ways of the TRS in every area.”

Asked whether the farmers were angrier with the Centre or the state government, Sanjay said, “For years, the farmers in Telangana did not know how many programmes and welfare schemes of the BJP-led Centre they were enjoying because the local sarpanches and officials made it appear as if they were TRS schemes. When the Food Corporation of India was procuring paddy, KCR told farmers he was doing it. Now farmers are demanding that they be allowed to sow paddy and that the state must buy it. TRS lies trapped under the debris of their own lies. Farmers will sound the death knell for the TRS government.”

Elaborating, Sanjay said, “During my padayatra across nearly 20 Assembly segments so far, I explained to farmers how they are getting Rs 900 Central subsidy of urea per bag, which works out to nearly Rs 5,000 per acre per season. Same with DAP. When they realise how much Prime Minister Modi is doing for farmers, but they are not getting benefits, or Kisan Fasal Bima or bonus because of CM KCR, Telangana farmers have made up their mind to vote BJP.”

“Did KCR even write to the FCI on how much crop Telangana may grow? Did he even initiate a ground survey? He just does not care about farmers… or anyone else, except during elections,” Sanjay alleged.

Dismissing the prospects of a face-off between the Congress and the BJP, Sanjay said, “Revanth Reddy is an agent of KCR, foisted to divide the anti-TRS votes. Congress is fighting the BJP, not the TRS. Every time the BJP announces a programme, Revanth, on the directions of KCR, organises another one on the same day. People know that the Congress has been purchased by the TRS.”

“Why would people of Telangana, sick and tired of one corrupt family-ruled party want to replace it with another,” he questioned.

On the Dharani portal, Sanjay said, “There seems to be serious lapses in terms of constitutional norms while implementing Dharani. The BJP will explore all options.”

“In the post-Huzurabad phase, Telangana will see a new struggle, a new movement for self-respect, for pro-poor politics, for justice, equality and dignity. Family rule, corruption and hubris will make way for nationalistic minded governance. The BJP will win Huzurabad today and Telangana tomorrow,” Sanjay said, with supreme confidence.