HYDERABAD: Citing his recent actions, the Opposition BJP has claimed there are clear indications that Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao would opt for a pre-term poll in the State, where he assumed power in 2014.
Explaining reasons for this assessment, Telangana BJP spokesperson Krishna Saagar Rao alleged that even two-and-a- half years after being in power, the TRS government has not addressed a "single manifesto issue, including farmer loan waiver". Given the State's "dismal financial situation", it seems unlikely the TRS Government will fulfil election promises in the remaining term, he told PTI here today.
The State's financial situation is on dire straits, almost bankrupt in terms of revenue loss and also mounting debt, according to him. "Telangana has Rs 1.5 lakh crore in direct and indirect public debt. And regulations don't allow raising more funds through external borrowing. He (CM) does not have money to do even if he wants to do in the second half what he did not do in the first half. "So, this is basic context in which he would to go to polls because if he waits for the full term to complete, there will be full-blown opposition," Saagar Rao said.
He charged the Chief Minister with "starting to woo casteist organisations, and speaking to caste and sub-caste leaders and trying to give them some sops. Then, he brings out SC-ST categorisation issue which was in the cold storage. Now, he talks about BCs, SCs and STs".
Saagar Rao also spoke about the Chief Minister's "sudden awakening to fulfil his personal vows to God with public money after almost 3 years of Telangana formation, and 12 per cent Muslim reservation rhetoric". "We got Telangana two-and-a-half years ago.
Now if somebody says its my personal vow when I achieve Telangana, he should do it a few months after achieving Telangana. Why did he wait till the mid-term to do it? So, basically he is trying to appease all religions, all castes, all creeds, all sub- castes. He is doing the mathematics", he said. So, signs are "very, very clear" that the State is headed for a pre-term poll, and it's quite likely that KCR might make moves to call for polls in the second half of 2018, the BJP spokesperson claimed. KCR believes that by going for early polls, he can catch the Opposition unprepared, he said.