MAHBUBNAGAR: For the first time, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Sunday dropped subtle hints that he would take leadership of the conglomeration of regional parties — the Federal Front — which he said was bound to come to power after the ensuing Lok Sabha elections.
The Chief Minister, addressing an election rally in Mahbubnagar, said the nation needed a leader to cleanse the Augean stables and bring forth a new economic order where all sections of people would lead a happy life and live in perpetual harmony with one another.
The Chief Minister elicited a response from the audience on whether his observation that a leader should take control of issues at the national level was appropriate at this time. “Isn’t it necessary that a leader should come forward and raise the battle cry to build a new India? Do you want KCR to do that?” he asked.
He said he was sure that regional parties would call the shots after the elections and that the days of the BJP and the Congress were over. Chandrasekhar Rao, referring to BJP state president K Laxman’s assertion that the BJP would go after him after the polls, said that, in fact it would be the other way round. “People will teach you a lesson for keeping the country in perpetual penury,” the chief minister said.
He reiterated that he would form a national party and take up the issues that are confronting the nation. “The BJP’s tally will not cross 150 and that of the Congress, not even 100. It is the regional parties that are taking over the leadership of the country,” he said.
Referring to his effort to form the Federal Front, the chief minister said that the prime minister was scared that he (Chandrasekhar Rao) might take up an active role in national politics.
‘Sweeping reforms are required and Constitution too needs to be amended’
“He (PM Modi) is shivering with fear. That is why he was making baseless allegations against me and even resorting to criticism at a personal level. He says KCR’s nose is too long. Why should he bother about my nose? He says I believe in astrologers. Why should he care?” Chandrasekhar Rao asked and pointed out that no one, not even a sarpanch, would talk the way Modi did.
KCR asserted that the nation was bedevilled by several problems and was crying for attention. Sweeping reforms are required in several areas, including the judiciary and executive. The Constitution too needs to be amended. “A new economic order should emerge and the present national agriculture policy should be revamped so that all farmers across the country would live without want,” the chief minister said.
Though Congress president Rahul Gandhi will be addressing election meetings in Telangana on Monday, the chief minister chose to target Prime Minister Narendra Modi and how he had bungled in administration during the last five years. This, probably, was on account of BJP apparently becoming strong in Mahbubnagar after DK Aruna left Congress and joined the BJP and is now the party’s nominee for the Lok Sabha seat. This apart, sitting TRS MP AP Jithender Reddy has returned to his parent party, BJP after he was denied a TRS ticket for Mahbubnagar.
The chief minister also spent considerable time dwelling on how poorly the Centre’s schemes compared to the state’s. “I want all of you to take a hard look at what everyone is saying. Our Asara Pension is far better than the Centre’s. We have allocated `11,843 crore in the budget after enhancing the Asara pension amount to `2,000. The Centre is releasing only `204 crore and it is meant for just 6.06 lakh beneficiaries, while the state is taking care of 47 lakh people. I want you to be on the side of those who are honest. It is you who should win the elections, and not the politicians,” he pointed out.
He questioned the BJP as to who had stopped him from improving the quality of life of the people of the country. “It had been either you or the Congress in the saddle till now. But you have not done anything. You are incapable of acting with imagination.”
He wanted to know who had prevented Modi from funding the Palamuru Lift Irrigation scheme after making a lofty promise ahead of the elections in 2014 that if he were elected, he would take care of the project. “But you have not done anything during the last five years,” he said. Though NITI Aayog had recommended the release of `24,000 crore for Mision Bhagiratha and Mission Kakatiya, the Centre did not release even 24 rupees, he said. Earlier, the chief minister addressed another election meeting at Wanaparthy, which is part of Nagarkurnool Lok Sabha constituency.
‘New Revenue Act will be in place by June-July’
Mahabubnagar: Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Sunday said by June-July a new Revenue Act will be in place to end the ordeal of the owners of land holdings in the State. The chief minister, addressing an election meeting here, said that the administration would be ready with technology to implement the Act and help the people. “The idea is to ensure that land records will remain pure.” The gigantic exercise of the purification of land records in respect of some land holdings were not very accurate and as a result it had been decided in the past that updated Dharani website is launched June. The chief minister said:“By June-July end we will introduce a new Revenue Act. Our aim is to ensure that we have pure land records. It may not be delayed beyond June-July and do not believe any media reports to the contrary.” According to sources, the records relating to land holdings of about nine lakh acres have not yet been settled.