HYDERABAD: “We are busy with our election campaign in Telangana . We will not dabble in AP politics. The people of AP will decide who should form the next government. But we have specific information that people in AP will reject TDP in the Assembly elections,” TRS working president KT Rama Rao said here on Monday.
In an informal chat with reporters here, the TRS leader said that AP Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu had nothing to boast of as his achievements during the last five years. “That is why Naidu is complaining against TRS. During the election campaign, Naidu uttered the name of KCR more than NTR,” he remarked.
KTR took exception to Naidu alleging that there is an unwritten understanding between KCR and YSRC chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.
“Naidu has nothing on hand to tell the people about how much development had taken place in his State. That is why he is blaming his neighbours,” he alleged.
He refuted Naidu’s allegations that the switch of ‘fan’ (YSRC symbol) is with KCR and electricity to fan was being provided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “That does not answer the questions raised by the people of his State,” KTR said. The TRS working president dared Naidu to tell the people that TDP, if it wins the elections, would not join the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre.
“We are out and out anti-BJP, unlike the TDP. The TRS ensured that the BJP candidates did not get their deposits in 103 seats in the Telangana Assembly elections held recently,’’ he said.
Referring to Naidu often stating that all the TRS top leaders worked under him at one point of time in the past, KTR retorted: “They were members of the council of ministers. There is no question of working under anyone. If that is the case, Naidu too worked under the Congress leaders in the past,” he remarked. Asked about Jana Sena Party president Pawan Kalyan’s appeal to TRS not to indulge in AP politics, KTR said that the TRS leaders were busy with electioneering and they have no role to play in AP politics. On Congress MLAs joining the TRS, Rama Rao recalled that TRS MP Konda Vishweshwar Reddy joining the Congress on the eve of recent Assembly elections. Several MLCs too joined the Congress. Sitting TRS MLAs Babu Mohan and B Shobha too joined the BJP.
“Moving from one party to other at the hustings is quite common. Even BJP president Amit Shah is inviting Congress MPs into his party fold. AICC president Rahul Gandhi too is inviting several BJP leaders. Could the Congress or the BJP leaders say they were purchased?” he asked.
He said not only MLAs, but leaders like Arepalli Mohan, Krishank and several other leaders were also joining the TRS. When the Congress took TRS MLCs and its MP, they consider it right when it is the other way round, they cry foul, he said.
Regional parties will get 150 seats
On KCR’s plans to float a national party, Rama Rao said that after the elections the plans would take shape. “We are expecting that besides TRS, YSRC, SP, TMC, BSP and BJD may get 150 Lok Sabha seats. There is no single party rule in the country. For that matter, the NDA and UPA too are alliances only. The coalition of regional parties opposed to the Congress and the BJP may form the government,” he said.