It will be TRS vs. Maha Ghatiya Bandhan: KTR
‘Oppn has conceded defeat, they already made me CM’
The upcoming Assembly elections will be a battle between the Telangana Rashtra Samiti and the Maha Ghatiya Bandhan (alliance of dirty parties), IT and industries minister K.T. Rama Rao said in an exclusive interview with Deccan Chronicle at his camp office in Begumpet on Tuesday.
The tech-savvy minister and son of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao is the man calling the shots now. He is confident the TRS will hit “a century” by winning 100 of the 119 Assembly seats. A feat that will be remembered in Telangana’s electoral history as a “one-sided war”, he asserted.
The elections will be a golden opportunity for all Telangana people to deal a deadly blow with a single vote to two “anti-Telangana parties”, the Congress and the TD, which he alleges joined hands to keep the self-respect and pride of Telangana at the feet of ‘Delhi and Amaravati’ rulers.
Referring to criticism from the Opposition that dissolving the Assembly and calling for early elections was aimed at ensuring his father stayed on as Chief Minister, Mr Rama Rao said this thinking gives a clear indication that the opposition has already conceded defeat by admitting that the TRS is going to win.
Referring to the criticism that early polls were aimed at making him a CM, Mr Rama Rao said this gives clear indication that the Opposition has conceded defeat even before the polls by admitting to the fact the they are losing. He further said that there is no vacancy for the CM’s post in the TRS and the people of Telangana, including himself, want Mr Chandrasekhar Rao to continue as CM at least for another 15 years.
He ruled out having any truck with the BJP, MIM or any other party.
The elections will be a golden opportunity for all Telangana people to deal a deadly blow with a single vote to two “anti-Telangana parties”, the Congress and the TD. Vacancy for the CM’s post in the TRS and the people of Telangana, including himself, want KCR to continue as CM at least for another 15 years. — K.T. RAMA RAO, IT minister
In a no-holds barred exclusive interview to the Deccan Chronicle, IT and industries minister K.T. Rama Rao, on Tuesday, said the upcoming Assembly elections will be a battle between the Telangana Rashtra Samiti and the Maha Ghatiya Bandhan (alliance of dirty parties)
Excerpts from the interview:
QHow do you see the prospects of the TRS in the Assembly elections?
A: There is not an iota of doubt that the TRS will hit a century by winning 100 seats. We missed a century by a run in the 2016 GHMC elections, when we won 99 seats, which itself is historical.
This time, we will hit a ton comfortably.
QAre you satisfied with the performance of the TRS government in the first term?
A: Though the government is formed for a five-year tenure, our net period in power was for only three years. This is because in the first year of our tenure, we could not do much due to pending state-bifurcation issues.
We dissolved the Assembly almost a year in advance, leaving us with only three years of tenure. Despite this, the TRS government took up revolutionary measures in putting the newly formed state at No1 position in various spheres.
We implemented over 450 types of welfare and other schemes for all sections of people and the all round development of the state, which is unprecedented for any government. People endorsed this by ensuring a thumping victory for TRS in different elections held on different occasions.
QIf the going was so good for the TRS government, why call for dissolution of the Assembly and early polls?
A: When we formed the first government in Telangana in June 2014, we strongly believed that the first five years were very crucial to lay solid foundation for the new state, like the initial years in case of a toddler, and all our plans and programmes were planned and executed in that direction.
But unfortunately, the opposition parties, especially principal opposition, the Congress, could not come to terms with the fact that the TRS won the elections. They started stalling each and every scheme or programme taken up by the TRS government. Over 186 cases have been filed in courts against irrigation projects. They started abusing even my young children.
We believe that this bitterness, these vitriolic attacks, will only increase as elections approach. They stooped so low. The TPCC chief Uttam Kumar calls me a dishwasher in the US. This bitterness and nonsense had to be stopped somewhere and will become even uglier as elections near. Then we decided, instead of name calling and indulging in tu kitna, mai kitna, let’s go to the people and let them decide who should rule. That’s why we dissolved the Assembly and gave up power before nine months to shut them up and teach a fitting lesson once and for all.
I request Telangana people to compare and contrast the 67year misrule of the Congress and TD governments and the four-year rule of the TRS.
I am glad that the Congress and TD have come together because people now have a clear choice to select between them and the TRS.
QWhy did the TRS make a U-turn on the issue of simultaneous Assembly and Lok Sabha polls? KCR himself gave a letter to the Law Commission supporting joint polls.
A: I see nothing wrong in going for early Assembly polls. It’s true that the TRS supported joint polls. But the CEC and other legal experts stated that joint polls are not possible unless the Constitution is amended.
Since joint polls were ruled out in the near future, we took the decision to dissolve the House. Moreover, early dissolution of Houses is nothing new. Narendra Modi as Gujarat CM dissolved the House in 2002, about nine months in advance.
QWhat will be your main poll plank? A: Obviously, KCR will be our main poll plank. We urge voters to bring KCR back to power to take forward the welfare and development programmes he has initiated in these four years for another 10 to 15 years to achieve the dream of Bangaru Telangana.
QThe TRS is said to be interested more in welfare or populist schemes, which fetch votes but has neglected creation of infrastructure such as roads and flyovers. The pathetic condition of roads is seen everywhere in the city.
A: I strongly disagree with this criticism. In fact, the TRS is accused of spending more on irrigation, roads, flyovers, drinking water etc. More roads and highways were laid.
I admit bad roads in Hyderabad. But I am looking at long-term solutions rather than short cut methods. In the city, the extent of roads is around 9,000-km. We have dug up half of these roads for laying Mission Bhagiratha pipeline, underground drainage, sewage system, cabling works etc. The restoration of these roads is challenging, but it’s going on. Unless the sewage and drainage system is improved, the condition of roads will not improve. If water stagnates, the roads will again get damaged.
In our second term, we want to spend `50,000 crore in three years for infrastructure development in the city.
QThe TRS is accused of neglecting its major poll promises of 2BHK houses for poor, jobs for youth, land for dalits and increased quotas for Muslims and STs.
A: We have promised to construct 2.60 lakh houses for the poor, which are under various stages of construction, and we will certainly reach the target by June 2019.
On jobs, we filled over 40,000 vacancies in four years, while the Congress could fill not even 10,000 posts in ten years from 2004 to 2014.
Land for dalits is a continuous process and 15,000 acres has already been distributed. We passed an Act enhancing quotas for Muslims and STs but the Centre blocked it. How can we be blamed for this?
QEvery party criticises the TRS for bringing family rule to Telangana. How will the TRS counter this?
A: KCR, myself, Kavitha and Harish are elected by the people. We have not got here through the back door. If opposition parties do not want us to rule, they are free to file candidates against us and campaign in Gajwel, Siddipet, Nizamabad and Siricilla.
When people have voted for us and elected us, why this grudge against KCR and his family? We all have participated in the Telangana agitation, faced police lathi-charge, police cases, court cases etc. Do they mean that KCR and his family members are suitable only for taking up agitation programmes and not fit to rule?
QSurveys point out that a large number of sitting MLAs are facing the antiincumbency factor. Yet the TRS has opted for all sitting MLAs for the coming elections. Also, there are reports of severe dissidence and rebellion in several constituencies after the list of 105 candidates was released.
A: We strongly believe that people vote for the TRS to make KCR the Chief Minister. They don’t look at candidates. The dissidence and rebels issue is quite common in any party. Time will sort out all these issues. In our victory, KCR’s charisma and hard work will contribute 80 per cent, while candidates’ contribution will be only 20 per cent, including myself.
QThe TRS is accused of setting dubious standards in Telangana by encouraging defections from all parties.
A: Earlier, we were a Telangana movement party. After Telangana state was achieved, we are now a pucca political party. It’s common for any political party to weaken rivals and become stronger. If leaders from other parties want to join us on their own, how could we stop them?
There is no pressure on anyone to join the TRS.
QIs there a power struggle between family members in the TRS?
A: I am fed up of answering these questions for the past four years. Myself, Harish, Kavitha and others in the family enjoy cordial relations. None of us has any personal ambitions. We all work as per the directions of KCR. We are all ready to work under anyone as directed by KCR.
The Opposition which have no issues to take on the TRS are raising these issues to bring a rift in the family But their dreams will never come true.
THE RESTORATION OF ROADS IS CHALLENGING, BUT IT’S GOING ON. UNLESS THE SEWAGE AND DRAINAGE SYSTEM IS IMPROVED, THE CONDITION OF ROADS WILL NOT IMPROVE. EARLIER, WE WERE A TELANGANA MOVEMENT PARTY. AFTER TELANGANA STATE WAS ACHIEVED, WE ARE NOW A PUCCA POLITICAL PARTY. IF LEADERS FROM OTHER PARTIES WANT TO JOIN US ON THEIR OWN, HOW COULD WE STOP THEM?