HYDERABAD: “I welcome D.K. Aruna becoming president of the Telangana BJP. It would mean the BJP will also be run by the Congress,” TPCC president A. Revanth Reddy said on Friday, referring to the direction of events in the rival Opposition party. “This simply means that BJP leaders don’t have the capacity to run their party.”
“The BRS is not clear who its CM face is. Speaker Pocharam Srinivas Reddy says K.T. Rama Rao will become CM. KTR says KCR will be the CM,” Revanth Reddy said while speaking to mediapersons on the sidelines of a Youth Congress event. “Will the BRS shut shop if the Congress announces its CM candidate?”
Suggesting that there was nervousness in the BRS ranks, Revanth Reddy said: “Why is KCR not saying that he will give tickets to all MLAs? If KCR has confidence on his leadership, he should announce the MLAs as candidates. He is now trying to shift the blame on to his MLAs. When did he see his MLAs as humans.”
The TPCC chief said the victory in the Karnataka elections had pushed up the Congress vote share in Telangana by five per cent.
On whether the balladeer Gaddar would contest the elections, he said the high command would decide on the matter. “Anybody can join the Congress, but tickets cannot be guaranteed to them,” he said.
On the reported conditions set by party former legislator Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy to return to the Congress, he said he would think about it if he was directed to do so. Generally, he said, he welcomed everyone into the party fold.
Responding to the possibility of an alliance with YSR Telangana Party chief Y.S. Sharmila, Revanth Reddy said, “What standing does Sharmila have here to mull about an alliance? Alliances are not decided at our level. It will be decided by the high command.”
Speaking after attending the Youth Congress meet in the city, Revanth Reddy said that if Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao were sincere about celebrating the 10th anniversary of Telangana statehood, he should have honoured Chukka Ramaiah, Haragopal, Varavara Rao, Jayaraju, Gaddar, Vimalakka, Andesri and Jayaraju.
He alleged that Rao had indulged in corruption in the construction of the Secretariat, installation of the Dr B.R. Ambedkar statue and even the Martyrs’ Memorial. He pointed to reports of seepage of rainwater in the Secretariat recently.
“A party which came into the elections with water, funds and jobs for locals as its agenda has changed to corruption in exam leaks, liquor and lift irrigation schemes,” he said.
“Why are they focusing their energies against the Congress now, when they were trying to show Modi and the BJP as their opponent,” Revanth Reddy asked, and appealed to the people to give the Congress a chance to govern after it gave statehood to Telangana.
AICC Telangana incharge Manikrao Thakre said, “The people beginning to understand that the Congress is the real alternative. We will guarantee implementation of all the promises that we make.”
