YOGI ADITYANATH’S VOW: OWAISI WILL HAVE TO FLEE

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath started his campaign in Telangana by giving a warning of sorts to AIMM leader Asaduddin Owaisi.

"If BJP comes to power, I assure you Owaisi will have to flee from Telangana the same way the Nizam was forced to flee from Hyderabad," said Yogi Adityanath, who landed in Hyderabad on Sunday morning. ‘‘The BJP,’’ he added, ‘‘will give security to all but will not allow those (to stay) who spread anarchy.’’

The Congress and TRS are "playing with" the interests of the people in Telangana and once more they would make efforts to take the State towards "Nizamshahi", he alleged.

Owaisi and Yogi have never been the best of friends. In fact, Owiasi has taken on Yogi on several issues, including the time he said many postures of "surya namaskar" in yoga closely resembled that of "namaz".

Addressing an election rally at Tandur town of Vikarabad district, Adityanath also accused the Congress of obstructing the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya. "If anyone is creating an obstruction

in the way of construction of a grand temple, it is the Congress, nobody except the Congress," he said. As regards the BJP, he said it is for good governance and development and wants a "Ram Rajya" in the country.

The BJP - which won only 9 of Telangana's 119 seats in 2014 -- is all alone this time, having fallen out with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu. It tried to reach an understanding with Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao but the latter does not see the saffron party as a serious contender in the state. Instead, TRS is leaning on Owaisi to dip into his clout among Muslims. Owaisi's party is expected to hold the key to government formation in case of a split verdict. In 2009, the AIMIM had contested and won 7 seats in undivided Andhra Pradesh. It retained all seven in Telangana in 2014.