Siddipet: BRS president Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao on Tuesday told Siddipet voters that he was indebted to them for his life as they continued to bless him with electoral victories.
Addressing a ‘Praja Ashirwada Sabha’ in Siddipet, alongside health minister and Siddipet MLA T. Harish Rao, Rao said: “To break the shackles of Telangana Thalli (separate state), I resigned from then ruling Telugu Desam and contested in Siddipet. People of Siddipet gave a record 60,000 majority against the futile efforts of united Andhra forces in the byelection and set the foundation stone for a separate Telangana state.”
MPs K. Prabhakar Reddy and D. Damodar Rao, and former Assembly Speaker S. Madhusudana Chary were also present.
“My blood and spirit is intertwined with Siddipet and till my last breath, I will be indebted to,” Rao said.
Rao said that like Telangana was iconic in the country, Siddipet was iconic in Telangana. “Siddipet not only backed me up as winner in every election, but was also the inspiration for flagship programmes like Mission Bhagiratha and Dalit Bandhu. I never forgot my 50 years of bonding with Siddipet as I served as Karimnagar and Mahbubnagar MP,” he said.
Taking a walk down memory lane, Rao listed out names of his close associates and said that he knew at least 200 people by name in each village. “Siddipet reeled from severe drought and acute drinking water shortage as the Congress governments failed to provide basic amenities to the people,” he said.
He said that nevertheless, the people endured and overcame all hardships to achieve statehood.
Called on people to give more than one lakh majority to incumbent Harish Rao, he said: “We have sufficient drinking water, roads and rail connectivity for Siddipet. Harish Rao strived hard for the integrated development of Siddipet. Despite being close to Hyderabad, Harish brought several institutes here, including medical colleges and IT hub, while a mini university is under progress.”
“He is a six-foot bullet. There is a running joke in BRS circles that Harish Rao will take every resource for the development of Siddipet. Even I wouldn’t have served Siddipet like Harish,” the Chief Minister said.
Rao said that Siddipet did not lack any facility, except an airport, at present and assured to continue schemes to cater to the needs of people of the constituency.
