HYDERABAD: Describing the BJP State leaders as the students of “WhatsApp University”, TRS working president and IT Minister KT Rama Rao on Wednesday said the saffron party netas have been more active on social media than in society.
In an informal chat with reporters at Telangana Bhavan, Rama Rao said despite the petty politics being played by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) candidate will win the Dubbaka Assembly bypoll on November 3 with a thumping majority.
"In the general elections, the TRS had secured over 62,000 votes. This time, it will improve its majority considerably and retain the seat. The BJP and Congress candidates will not even get their deposits back," he averred.
Rama Rao said the BJP State leaders have been resorting to a campaign of vilification for the sake of sensationalism.
They have reached a stage where they are ready to teach a lesson or two to Goebbels, Rama Rao said, lacing his words in sarcasm. The Dubbaka voters are politically conscious and can see through the BJP’s game plan, he said.
Cash seizure
On the recent seizure of cash from the house of a relative of Dubbaka BJP candidate M Raghunandan Rao, Rama Rao said the party leaders have always claimed that it is the BJP government’s money that has been used in the construction of toilets and 2BHK houses.
But when the cash was seized, they denied that it was their money. In fact, some women were seen in the videos counting the cash and saying that it is for distribution in the bypoll, he said.
Foul language
Rama Rao objected to the language being used by the BJP leaders. "They should stop using such foul language. If the TRS leaders also did the same, they would not even spare the Prime Minister," he said.
But he said Union Minister of State for Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy has been speaking in a dignified manner. "The BJP State leaders should learn from Kishan Reddy, or Kishan Reddy should control them," he said.
He recalled that when the Opposition was targeting Narendra Modi in the Assembly, it was Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao who requested the leaders to respect the Prime Minister.
He said the Opposition leaders, too, should respect the institution of the Chief Minister and behave in a dignified manner, even while criticising him. "Do not test our patience. We will give a fitting reply at the appropriate time," Rama Rao said.
He said that the Congress camp has emptied out right from Delhi to Galli and that several leaders are expected to join the TRS.
No need to campaign
Asked if he would campaign in Dubbaka, Rama Rao said there is no need for this. When asked about KCR’s campaign, he recalled that the TRS had won with a huge majority in the Huzurnagar Assembly bypoll, even though KCR did not campaign there. But he was quick to add that KCR’s Dubbaka tour has not yet been finalised.
When one journalist pointed out that the credit of winning the Dubbaka Assembly would go to Finance Minister T Harish Rao, KTR said: "There’s nothing wrong with that. All of us are working under the leadership of KCR, who will decided the leaders for the campaign. There is a saying, horses for courses. Harish Rao is a Minister from the district and has been given the responsibility."
Revanth Reddy a comic relief
On Congress MP A Revanth Reddy’s comments, Rama Rao said if he thinks he is an international leader let him ensure that the Congress candidate gets back the deposit in Dubbaka. There are some leaders in politics who give comic relief to the people, he said. There has been talk that Revanth might join the BJP sooner or later, he said.
Centre's failure
Accusing the Centre of not releasing funds for relief operations in flood-hit areas, Rama Rao demanded that the BJP leaders release a white paper on the funds released in the last six years to TS. Even the Lok Sabha segments represented by four BJP MPs have not got any additional funds, he said. "Except for merging seven mandals of TS and Lower Sileru with AP, the Centre has done nothing," he alleged.
He demanded that the State BJP leaders pressure the Centre to accord national project status to the KLIS. He blamed it for the country’s bad economic situation.
Referring to the RBI’s latest report on the state's finance, KTR said in last six years, Telangana has waived crop loans to the tune of Rs 27,718 crore. The contribution of the agriculture sector to the GSDP has increased three-fold and the per capita income doubled too during this period, he said.