People made me CM for work, not due to father’s reputation: Revanth

Hyderabad: Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, in an aggressive speech, challenged BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao to secure at least one Lok Sabha seat for the party in the upcoming elections to prove his political worth, after Rama Rao claimed the Congress would not have won “even 30 seats” if Revanth Reddy was announced as the CM face ahead of the Assembly polls.

Addressing a public meeting in Chevella on Tuesday to mark the launch of the Rs 500-cylinder scheme and 200 units of free power to households, Revanth Reddy said: “I did not sit in this chair (CM) by reciting father’s name like you (KTR). The people of Telangana state and Congress workers have given me this seat. I fought against the anti-people policies of your government.”

“I faced false cases, police lathis and was imprisoned in Cherlapally and Chanchalguda jails. I have come up in life from the ground level. I challenge you, if you have guts, to win at least one Lok Sabha seat in Telangana. Let you or your father accept this challenge, I am ready,” he said.

Revanth Reddy then turned his guns on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, dubbing his ‘Gujarat model’ as one devised to split political parties and pull down democratically elected governments.

Referring to the Prime Minister and former chief minister K. Chandrashekar Rao, he said “Modi and kedi” were in cahoots against the Congress.

Reacting to comments on dethroning his government, Revanth Reddy said, “Some say my government will fall in a month while some others say it will fall in three months. I appeal to party workers to tie such people to trees, strip them, and beat them up.”

Crediting the party's victory in Assembly polls to workers, he said, “I assure you that I will stand by party workers. Party workers should get due posts. I will not rest until I ensure your victory in gram panchayat, mandal parishad, zilla parishad, municipal corporations and see you as sarpanchs, MPTCs, ZPTCs, corporators, councillors, etc.”

Revanth Reddy promised to appoint party workers to Indiramma committees soon.

“Indiramma committees will be set up for every village and ward in panchayats and municipalities. All welfare schemes and developmental programmes being implemented by the Congress government will be monitored by these committees. Five members will be appointed to each committee. They will play a key role in the identification of beneficiaries for welfare schemes, developmental programmes, and their implementation,” he said.