HYDERABAD: Addressing back to back public meetings in Kodad, Tungathurthy and Aler, Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao was stern and direct in his core message to the people and voters – you must use your vote, the most potent and powerful weapon in a democracy for the good of the state, and its future, and not waste it by voting for false promises and hollow words.
With a tinge of nostalgia, in each of the three places, Rao chose to go back in time to make people recall the times when Telangana was a never-ending stretch of a wasteland, a neglected and oppressed region, whose leaders, mostly from the Congress, could never stand up for its rights.
“There was a time when farmers did not get power or water. There were mass migrations of people from our villages and towns. I would feel bad looking at the region and listening to the problems of the people in those days. We fought for Telangana and won. I led the struggle at a time when people dismissed our chances,” he recalled.
Emphasising that neither the achievement of a separate state nor its transformation were easy, Rao said, “Some people these days are coming to tell you all kinds of stories. They say we gave you Telangana. It is not true. Congress promised a separate state in 2004 but did not give it. I put my head into the jaws of death and got it for you.”
On the journey of a decade in power for the BRS, he said, “We built a great state, with the highest per capita income in the country. We developed Hyderabad. We ensured pensions for senior citizens and we ensured Rythu Bandhu and Rythu Bima. We gave Dalit Bandhu. We provided for Kalyana Lakshmi and Shaadi Mubarak,” he said.
The huge crowds, which waited patiently for hours for the Chief Minister, cheered him on as he listed the life-supporting welfare schemes and transformational development activities.
He then turned to tell the people how the Congress was a dark agent of failures and betrayals.
“This was the very Congress which took our happy Telangana established after Hyderabad state’s integration into Andhra Pradesh. Why did they do it,” he asked.
Speaking in favour of each of the three candidates in the respective meeting, Rao exhorted the masses to vote for the BRS and bring his government back for a third term, because a lot more was needed to be done.
“We still have a lot more to do. On the other hand, if you vote in favour of Congress, you will ruin our state,” he said.
He asked voters from the Backward Classes, Dalits, tribals and minorities to ensure that the state of Telangana was not put in the wrong hands.
“I fought and protected Telangana. I can’t keep doing it all alone. You must now stand up and ensure our state has a bright future. Only the BRS can develop Telangana and ensure welfare of all sections.”
Rao was at his energetic best, and eloquent, often using earthy aphorisms and adages, in a slant and style that is characteristically his own. Each maxim earned him a thunderous roar, with people laughing and cheering him, egging him to unleash the next spark of witticism.
He asked people to raise their hands and join him to shout ‘Jai Telangana’, and with it, ended the meeting, moving on to the next. The candidates sure knew that their chances had jumped up by a big margin.
