HYDERABAD: He believes that before every election, all political parties become ‘noisy’ -- referring to the infighting over party tickets -- and that TRS is no exception, though there is no discontentment in the pink party. As his phone rings endlessly and obviously so, this suave politico believes that rabble-rousing, name calling and stooping to the same level as the opponent, on twitter that is -- is part and parcel of every election.
‘‘In a T-20 cricket match, does the batsman play all the overs in a similar manner ? Sometimes he hits hard, some times slow and now that it is election time, you will only see the politician in me though I am otherwise a charming man. But our real campaign is yet to begin,’’ says KT Rama Rao, the IT Minister of Telangana.
‘‘You don’t drive a wedge between me and Harish,’’ he quips when asked whether KTR would work under the Chief Ministership of T Harish Rao, in case that were to happen. Recently, Harish had declared that he was ready to work under KTR. ‘‘I want KCR garu to be the Chief Minister of the state for the next 15 years and who knows, Harish might retire before that ! Or may be I will retire and both of us (Harish and himself) could play golf together,’’ he laughs.
In a free-wheeling two-hour long exclusive interview to Express over a few cups of green tea, Rama Rao asserts that the TRS has always scripted history and they will sweep the polls even as he refers to Congress leaders -- right from its president Rahul Gandhi to the local leadership -- as a ‘bunch of jokers’ who are out to grab power by hook or crook.
‘‘I respect what Harish said. But it is silly to talk all that as KCR garu is only 65 and in the best of health and I want him to continue as CM for the next 15 years. By the way, the CM post is not vacant,’’ says Rama Rao, the shrewd politician in him, taking the centre stage.
But the 42-year-old turns nostalgic as he goes back to history of the Telangana agitation, right from early 1900s to the 1968 movement when he points out that the then Congress government killed 369 youths and today the same party is talking about doing social justice.
‘‘These jokers do not have the moral right to make any tall claims. Now is the time for them to take the bull by its horns but they are jittery.’’
So what was the reason for the state to go in for early polls ? ‘‘The Congress wants to somehow stall all development works we had undertaken. They filed 186 cases against irrigation projects. I have no problem if they seek justice through the Courts. But since they want power at any cost, they are resorting to all other means to stall important works. They were making baseless allegations and went to the extent of body shaming even my children. We figured that the only way to stop this from getting more murkier is to seek fresh mandate.’’
The “saga of betrayal’’ of the people of Telangana by the Congress is before everyone to see and so is TDP Chief and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s repeated obstacles to construction of irrigation projects in Telangana. The people of Telangana have got an opportunity now to kill “the two birds with one stone (vote),’’ IT and Industries Minister KT Rama Rao has said.
“Both Congress and TDP, which ruled the State one after the other for 67 years, had utterly failed to provide potable water, power and other amenities to people. Such parties have now joined hands to grab power. People should be wary of their designs and seize the opportunity of elections to kill two birds with one stone,” he said.
In an interview with the Express on Wednesday, Rama Rao averred that the TRS would script history by winning 100 Assembly seats in the forthcoming elections.
Pooh-poohing the Congress-led grand alliance as a bundle of contradictions, he said, “The bunch will crumble under its own weight.”
Here are the excerpts from the interview:
TNIE: How do you view the formation of grand alliance by TDP, Congress?
KTR: I would like to ask Prof M Kodandaram why he is allying with Congress which was responsible for the death of 369 youths during the agitation in 1969. Also, was it not Congress that was responsible for deaths of hundreds of students after 2001? The parties which murdered youths and made them martyrs are now talking about them. It is shameful. Which martyr’s family has asked Kodandaram to sail with Congress and TDP? The grand alliance literally had no agenda except to grab power. Now, PM Narendra Modi is talking about “Congress-mukt Bharat”. But NT Rama Rao founded TDP way back in 1982 on the same plank. How can TDP sail with Congress?
TNIE: The grand alliance is coming out with an agenda. What is your take on this?
KTR: What is the basis for forming the grand alliance except for dislodging the TRS and grabbing power? The Congress-TDP combine sees early polls as a golden opportunity to dislodge TRS.
TNIE: But Congress leaders are talking about corruption in TRS government...
KTR: There is no capable leader in Congress for post of chief minister. Currency notes of the value of Rs2.5 crore were burnt in a Congress leader’s car during 2004 electioneering (N Uttam Kumar Reddy). One working president is involved in vote-for-note case (A Revanth Reddy). Another leader is involved in human trafficking case (T Jaya Prakash Reddy). That party (Congress) talking about corruption is a big joke. If there is corruption in TRS government, the opposition parties can knock the doors of courts.
TNIE: What is your main poll plank?
KTR: Apart from KCR’s face, the TRS’ main election plank will be good governance and good work. We have provided good governance. Done exceptionally good work. These are our poll planks. Telangana is number one in welfare programmes. The developmental schemes will help us get votes. The TRS government has done exceptionally well in “Nidhulu (funds), Neellu (water) and Niyamakalu (employment)”, on which Telangana statehood movement hinged.
TNIE: The Congress is alleging that the TRS government failed to provide employment. What is your reaction?
KTR: Because of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, the State got new zonal system which reserved 95% jobs to locals. In its 10-year rule from 2004 to 2014, Congress filled 10,000 jobs in government sector. In the last four years of TRS rule, we have filled 40,000 posts and issued notifications for another 60,000. Congress was responsible for unemployment in the State.
TNIE: K Chandrasekhar Rao vowed not to seek votes if Mission Bhagiratha was not completed before elections. What is the status of the scheme?
KTR: It will be completed before elections. Around 90% work is complete. The rest will be completed by the time elections are held. As for water, the government undertook Mission Bhagiratha to provide potable water to every household. It took 40 years for the previous governments to complete Sriram Sagar project. We put irrigation projects on the fast track and are all set to complete Kaleshwaram in just four years. As regards funds, Telangana has always been fund-surplus. Telangana funds were used for AP in the past. Now, Telangana is the fastest-growing state in the country. Its growth rate is 17.17%.
TNIE: There has been criticism that TRS supremo K Chandrasekhar Rao is not going to the Secretariat. You claim yours is good governance...
KTR: Good government does not mean that an ordinary person should be able to meet the chief minister for the sake of a ration card. Every citizen in the State is getting his/her requirements met without meeting the CM.
TNIE: Have you spoken with Harish Rao after his recent emotional outburst?
KTR: Harish Rao himself issued a clarification the very next day. Leave it at that. You cannot drive a wedge between Harish Rao and KTR.
TNIE: How are your relations with BJP? TRS is alleged to have hidden agenda with BJP
KTR: There is no hidden agenda or friendship with BJP. We (BJP and TRS) are diametrically opposite.
TNIE: In the recent bus accident in Jagtial, 61 people died and there was criticism that KCR did not visit the place or the injured, but had earlier been seen consoling the members of the family of Harikrishna who died in another road accident.
KTR: The chief minister was down with viral fever. I had gone to Jagtial and so did other leaders. To draw comparisons between the two instances is unfair.
TNIE: You and KCR seem to be very busy pacifying all those who were denied ticket to contest elections.
KTR: There is no discontent and all of our leaders are campaigning across the state. It is natural everyone wants to contest on behalf of a party that is going to win elections. In fact, we had expected more. Just wait and watch the fate of Gandhi Bhavan once they announce their list. The windowpanes will be smashed, their leaders will stage dharna and there will be hungama.
TNIE: There is an old CBI case against KCR pertaining to 2006 when he served as Union Minister for Labour and Employment and there were alleged irregularities in the award of contracts of civil works in ESI hospitals which allegedly caused a loss of Rs6 crore to the government, The CBI had even questioned Rao in October 2015.
KTR: KCR garu is not afraid of CBI nor any political party in the country. Opposition has nothing to hold against us in the 18 years of TRS existence. It is an achievement.
TNIE: Congress says that even Harish Rao’s name figures in 2005 enquiry report of CID in human trafficking case.
KTR: The opposition can approach the court or meet the DGP. If Harish was involved, what did the Congress government do for nine years ? They dont have a shred of evidence.’
TNIE: Is the Federal Front on the back-burner for now?
KTR: Federal Front was born out of the angst of the common man and KCR garu is looking for an alternative to bring about a qualitative change in the country. After 71 years of Independence, many still do not have access to clean drinking water. Many villages are still without electricity.
TNIE: What is your view on triple talaq?
KTR: I have not followed this issue much.
TNIE: Your party leaders are talking against AP Chief N Chandrababu Naidu. But, KCR invited Naidu for his Ayutha Chandi Yagam. What is this contradiction.
KTR: Invitation to Yagam is a courtesy. We differ on several issues with Naidu. He wrote several letters to Union government for stopping construction of irrigation projects. Even PM Narendra Modi met the then Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. It does not mean that Pakistan and India have no issues. But, I am not comparing AP and TS with India and Pakistan.
TNIE: What went wrong with the Pragathi Nivedana Sabha? It is said that you were tasked with mobilising a crowd of 25 lakh people but only four to five lakh people turned up. Comparisons are being drawn between the organising skills of you and T Harish Rao?
KTR: Do you know how many lakhs attended? It was a grand success and lakhs of people attended it and let us leave it at that.