Deccan Chronicle

KCR says ready for polls in Nov.

■May ask EC to advance polls; taunts parties

- L. VENKAT RAM REDDY I DC

Chief Minister K. Chandrasek­har Rao on Sunday hinted at “advance polls” in Telangana state.

Addressing a meeting at Telangana Bhavan on the occasion of city Congress leader Danam Nagender joining the TRS, Mr Rao said the TRS is ready for early elections and challenged the Opposition to clarify whether they too were ready.

TRS sources said the Chief Minister wants Assembly elections to be held in November/ December this year along with elections in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, and is likely to request the Election Commission accordingl­y.

The Lok Sabha and TS Assembly polls are due in April-May next year. There has been talks of holding simultaneo­us polls as also speculatio­n that the general election could be advanced to the year end.

Speaking on the occasion, the CM said that the latest survey by various independen­t agencies revealed that the TRS would win 100-plus Assembly seats out of 119 in Telangana.

He added that he would release the detailed survey results in three or four days. He said even if all other parties join hands against the TRS, they cannot defeat the TRS which has over 50 per cent vote share in 100 constituen­cies and 60 per cent vote share in 85 seats as per the survey.

“We are ready for advance elections. Even people are ready for advance elections. I ask the Congress and other Opposition parties to tell whether they are ready. If we go for elections, it will reveal whose strength is what and where each party stands.

“If Opposition parties don’t stop mudslingin­g on the TRS government, then we will be forced to go to polls to prove who the people are behind. That day is not very far off,” Mr Rao remarked.

The party sources said Mr Rao is keen to advance the polls ever since he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi on June 15.

Chief Minister K. Chandrasek­har Rao on Sunday hinted at “advance polls” in Telangana state.

“TRS candidates are going to win with a margin of 30,000 to 50,000 votes in several constituen­cies. There is a variation of 30 to 40 per cent between the TRS and other parties in vote share,” Mr Rao said.

After he returned from Delhi on June 17, Mr Rao spent almost a week in his farmhouse on the city’s outskirts holding deliberati­ons with senior party leaders on early elections. He returned from his farmhouse only on Sunday to welcome Mr Nagendar into the party and spoke

After he returned from Delhi on June 17, Mr Rao spent almost a week in his farmhouse holding deliberati­ons with senior party leaders

about advancing the election date.

The party’s position may be strong in 100-plus constituen­cies but the performanc­e of nearly 40 sitting MLAs is not up to the mark, according to the survey Mr Rao referred to.

By releasing the survey report, the CM wants to warn and alert these MLAs that if they fail to rectify the situation they could be replaced.

 ??  ?? PARTY SOURCES said K. Chandrasek­har Rao is keen to advance the polls ever since he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi on June 15.
PARTY SOURCES said K. Chandrasek­har Rao is keen to advance the polls ever since he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi on June 15.

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