BRS Karimnagar Lok Sabha candidate Boinapalli Vinod Kumar. (Photo: X)
Karimnagar: Karimnagar had proved lucky for BRS on a number of occasions, particularly during separate Telangana movement. BRS party chief K. Chandrasekhar Rao won the Karimnagar Lok Sabha seat three consecutive times before Telangana emerged as a new state.
After formation of Telangana, Boinapally Vinod Kumar, a close associate of KCR, won the Karimnagar LS seat in 2014 LS elections.
In the November 2023 assembly polls, even though BRS lost four of the seven assembly segments of Karimnagar Lok Sabha seat to Congress, the now opposition party has an overall majority of 5,429 votes in the LS constituency.
BRS has re-nominated Vinod Kumar as its candidate from the Karimnagar parliament seat. He is hoping to win the Lok Sabha constituency by building up on the 5,429-vote majority BRS got in the 2023 November polls.
In an interview with Deccan Chronicle, Vinod Kumar explains how BRS will win from Karimnagar and regain its past glory with empowerment of the youth, farmers and women in the state.
Deccan Chronicle: All the three key contesting candidates (Sitting MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar of BJP, V. Rajendra Rao of Congress and Vinod Kumar of BRS) are claiming that they developed Karimnagar. What is the development done by you?
Vinod Kumar: BJP and Congress parties are claiming to have developed Karimnagar district only to confuse people. It is only during my tenure as MP that the Smart City project got implemented with the release of ₹1,000 crore. My initiatives led to the alignment of railway line from Manoharabad to Kothapalli and sanctioning of national highway from Jagtial to Warangal via Karimnagar. During its tenure of 10 years, BRS government took up several developmental works in erstwhile Karimnagar district, including sanctioning of medical colleges, upgrading hospitals and providing advanced medical equipment.
DC: In the recently held assembly elections, Congress won four assembly segments and BRS three of the total seven seats in Karimnagar parliament constituency. Don’t you think Congress has an edge over BRS and BJP?
VK: We cannot compare assembly elections with Lok Sabha polls. Before going to LS elections in 2019, BRS had all the seven assembly segments of Karimnagar parliament in its kitty. But BJP won. Now, Congress has four assembly segments and BJP has not won even a single assembly seat. But the vote share of BRS is more compared to Congress. That way, BRS is far ahead of Congress and BJP in Karimnagar LS seat.
DC: Congress is alleging that BRS has a secret understanding with BJP. BJP says BRS is secretly colluding with Congress.
VK: Both BJP and Congress are trying to blame BRS. Both are wrong. The two are afraid of BRS, as it has a very strong cadre and ground-level network in Telangana.
DC: What are you promising for being elected as MP from Karimnagar?
VK: People know Vinod Kumar is a politician who keeps his promises and also implements projects that have not been promised. I am committed to empowerment of the youth and providing employment opportunities to them. An international-standard skill development technical institute like that of Singapore will be opened in Karimnagar to provide professional training to youth in around 150 different professions. I will also take initiative to establish a packaging and textile park, food processing units, IT incubators and open Navodaya schools in every district.
DC: Do you think Karimnagar people are with BRS?
VK: Within six months, the people of all sections are vexed with the Congress government. They have realised that the Congress has made false promises and come to power. Farmers, women and youth of Karimnagar are with the BRS, as they feel it is their inti party.
Vinod Kumar: BJP and Congress parties are claiming to have developed Karimnagar district only to confuse people. It is only during my tenure as MP that the Smart City project got implemented with the release of ₹1,000 crore. My initiatives led to the alignment of railway line from Manoharabad to Kothapalli and sanctioning of national highway from Jagtial to Warangal via Karimnagar. During its tenure of 10 years, BRS government took up several developmental works in erstwhile Karimnagar district, including sanctioning of medical colleges, upgrading hospitals and providing advanced medical equipment.
DC: In the recently held assembly elections, Congress won four assembly segments and BRS three of the total seven seats in Karimnagar parliament constituency. Don’t you think Congress has an edge over BRS and BJP?
VK: We cannot compare assembly elections with Lok Sabha polls. Before going to LS elections in 2019, BRS had all the seven assembly segments of Karimnagar parliament in its kitty. But BJP won. Now, Congress has four assembly segments and BJP has not won even a single assembly seat. But the vote share of BRS is more compared to Congress. That way, BRS is far ahead of Congress and BJP in Karimnagar LS seat.
DC: Congress is alleging that BRS has a secret understanding with BJP. BJP says BRS is secretly colluding with Congress.
VK: Both BJP and Congress are trying to blame BRS. Both are wrong. The two are afraid of BRS, as it has a very strong cadre and ground-level network in Telangana.
DC: What are you promising for being elected as MP from Karimnagar?
VK: People know Vinod Kumar is a politician who keeps his promises and also implements projects that have not been promised. I am committed to empowerment of the youth and providing employment opportunities to them. An international-standard skill development technical institute like that of Singapore will be opened in Karimnagar to provide professional training to youth in around 150 different professions. I will also take initiative to establish a packaging and textile park, food processing units, IT incubators and open Navodaya schools in every district.
DC: Do you think Karimnagar people are with BRS?
VK: Within six months, the people of all sections are vexed with the Congress government. They have realised that the Congress has made false promises and come to power. Farmers, women and youth of Karimnagar are with the BRS, as they feel it is their inti party.
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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