HYDERABAD: “TRS retaining power in the State for the second time is a foregone conclusion,” party president K Chandrasekhar Rao exuded confidence on Tuesday. “Crossing the 100-Assembly-seat mark is our target,” the caretaker chief minister said upon announcing the pink party’s assurances to voters ahead of the forthcoming Assembly elections.
Speaking to media persons at Telangana Bhavan, Rao said the Congress had consistently reneged upon all the poll promises it had made in the past. “The Congress assured to give 6 kg rice to the poor and increase social security pensions, but did nothing after coming to power. The party also promised to reduce the price of domestic gas cylinders, but hiked refill price from Rs 261 to Rs 479 during its tenure,” Rao said.
Lambasting the Opposition and particularly Congress leader S Jaipal Reddy for throwing muck at the TRS, Rao thundered: “We are anything but corrupt. If there is corruption in the administration, how can there be growth? We achieved 19.73 per cent growth in the first six months of this financial year. Jaipal Reddy is aged now and has lost control over his mind.”
The TRS supremo took on the Congress for the number of scams that surfaced during its ten-year rule. “We have spared them (Congress) until now. Once the TRS is re-elected, they will be taken to task. They have also misappropriated funds allotted for housing programmes. In Mathani Assembly segment, if there are 100 families, 140 houses were constructed, despite that many are without houses,” Rao said.
‘RaGa no big deal’
When asked about AICC president Rahul Gandhi’s tour, the Chief Minister said, “Who is scared of Rahul Gandhi? We have dissolved the Assembly and are going to face the polls. We have our own calculations.”