Hyderabad: TPCC president and Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Tuesday accused the BJP and the BRS them of entering into a 'shady deal' to defeat the Congress in the Lok Sabha elections in Telangana state.
He alleged that the BRS chief K. Chandrashekar Rao was not taking rest at his farmhouse but holding 'secret talks' with Prime Minister Narendra Modi for forging a 'secret pact' between the two parties for the Lok Sabha polls.
The way BRS leaders K.T. Rama Rao and T. Harish Rao were attacking the Congress every day and not even taking the name of the BJP was a clear indication of the 'shady deal' between the BRS and the BJP, Revanth Reddy said.
He said that if Telangana state was to secure all the promises that were promised by the Centre under the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014, the Congress-led government has to come to power at the Centre in the Lok Sabha polls and Rahul Gandhi should become Prime Minister.
"If this has to happen, then Congress has to win all the 17 Lok Sabha seats in Telangana," Revanth Reddy said.
He urged the people not to waste their votes on the BRS, stating that it was dead and it is non-existent. "If you vote for the BRS in Lok Sabha polls, it amounts to throwing it in the Musi river," the Chief Minister said.
Revanth Reddy addressed a press conference in party headquarters Gandhi Bhavan on Tuesday after taking part in the TPCC election committee meeting which was held to begin the process for selection of Congress candidates for the Lok Sabha polls.
He also slammed Prime Minister Modi and former CM Chandrashekar Rao for the state bifurcation promises lying pending even after 10 years.
"Neither KCR asked Modi for fulfilment of bifurcation promises to Telangana nor did Modi take any steps to deliver on these promises in the last 10 years. Both of them have neglected Telangana. They remained focused only on their selfish political interests,” Revanth Reddy said.
“The UPA government at the Centre led by Congress incorporated the establishment of Bayyaram steel factory, Kazipet railway coach factory in Telangana in bifurcation Act. Modi and KCR who came to power after bifurcation ignored to fulfil these promises," he said.
Again dubbing Rama Rao and Harish Rao as "Billa and Ranga", Revanth Reddy asked, "Why are they attacking the Congress every day and why are they keeping mum on the BJP? Either the Congress or the BJP will come to power at the Centre. There is no chance for any other party in the country. By attacking Congress every day, Rama Rao and Harish Rao are conveying that the BRS wants the BJP to come to power at the Centre."
The Chief Minister also accused Modi of failing to fulfil any of the major poll promises such as housing for all, doubling farmers income, bringing back black money from Swiss Bank and depositing Rs 15 lakh in accounts of each Indian. Instead, Revanth Reddy said, Modi had achieved a dubious distinction of making India as the country with the highest farmer suicide.
Disclosing the details of the party's election committee meeting, he said, "The meeting has unanimously passed a resolution handing over powers to AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge for selection of Congress candidates for the Lok Sabha polls in Telangana state. The meeting has decided to seek applications from aspirants till March 3. A committee has been formed to scrutinise these applications and will be forwarded to AICC for final approval."
He reiterated that TPCC was committed to its proposal passed earlier urging former Congress president Sonia Gandhi to contest the Lok Sabha elections from Telangana state.
In the event of Sonia Gandhi contesting election from the state, he urged all parties to cooperate for her unanimous election, as she was the one who granted statehood to Telangana and realised the six-decade dream of its people.
