HYDERABAD: TRS working president KT Rama Rao blamed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not giving representation in the Union Cabinet for Telangana.
“Secunderabd MP Bandaru Dattatreya was removed from the Cabinet in the first year itself. Telangana is one of the fastest growing States in the country. But Modi failed to give any Cabinet berth to Telangana after Dattatreya was stripped off the portfolio,” Rama Rao said.
Addressing party workers of Secunderabad Lok Sabha constituency here on Wednesday, Rama Rao heckled BJP president K Laxman’s statement that the BJP would win majority seats and dared TRS leaders to take ‘sannyas’ (retirement).
“Laxman who was defeated in the Assembly elections is again issuing bold statements. Let Laxman, first clarify why no Telangana MP was in the Union Cabinet. Is it the importance given to Telangana by the BJP government. It is an insult to Telangana,” he asked.
Rama Rao also termed his father and TRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao as “monagadu” (chieftain).
“Some people are asking what could TRS do in the Centre in a fight between PM Modi and AICC president Rahul Gandhi. My answer is that, when TRS had two MP seats, KCR, Monagadu, achieved separate Telangana. When people give us 16 seats, KCR will get `1 lakh crore to `1.5 lakh crore additional Central funds,” he said.
In Nizamsagar, addressing the Zaheerabad Lok Sabha segment party workers, Rama Rao wanted the party workers to improve the voting percentage in each Assembly segment.
Rama Rao said that the TRS votes were increased from 36 per cent in 2014 to 51 per cent in 2018 Zaheerabad Assembly segment, there was a two per cent increase from 52 per cent in Banswada Assembly and five per cent increase from 50 per cent in Narayankhed Assembly segment. Whereas, the party candidate got four per cent less from 46 per cent in 2014 to 42 per cent in 2018. He said that TRS vote share had dropped from 49 per cent in 2014 to 34 per cent in 2018 in Yellareddy.
“We have to introspect and ensure that the TRS got 60 to 65 per cent votes.”