HYDERABAD: Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao made no bones about seeking assistance from election strategist Prashant Kishor in understanding the people’s pulse and also for finalising the contours of the political formation that he is visualising at the Centre after sending the BJP home.
Replying to a question at a news conference on Monday, he said: “Prashant Kishor is working with me. There is no secret about it. Prashant Kishor is my best friend for the last seven to eight years. He has varied and vast experience in sensing people’s pulse. He had advised Mamata, MK Stalin and YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. I am now taking his assistance since he is aware of the issues that concern people.”
The Chief Minister asserted that Prashant Kishor does not take money for the work he does.
“He does not take money,” Rao said.
Rao, who has been critical of the BJP in recent months, referred to the 'Kashmir Files' issue and accused the BJP of playing divisive politics.
"I have clearly said there is a void, there is a vacuum in the national politics.
I am pursuing national politics now.
I am doing my piece of job.
I have to meet so many other friends who are playing a major role in this country's politics.
We are trying to form an opinion.
Thereafter, what happens, let's see," he said.
"How to fill up that gap, we will certainly take a decision.
Maybe qualitative.
Ultimately, it will prove quantitative also.
I assure you, from 2024, India will pursue a new path of 'kranti' (revolution)," he said.
Rao, who described Kishor as his best friend for the last seven-eight years, praised the political strategist for his commitment to a cause.
Kishor does not work for money, he said.
"He (Kishor) is not a paid worker," Rao, popularly known as KCR, said.
Talking about the 'Kashmir Files' issue, he said a progressive government should talk about developmental issues.
He quoted the Kashmir Pundits in Delhi as having said that an attempt is on to cash in on their plight in the form of votes and that nothing has been done for them.
"They (alleged comments of Kashmir Pundits) are in social media.
These type of attempts to promote animosities, divide the people is not correct," he said.
Rao alleged that the NDA government at the Centre has failed though people voted for the BJP after being disappointed with the previous UPA regime.
"Mr Modi has utterly failed. It is clear by now that we (NDA) cannot deliver more than this (since 2014)," he said.
The BJP-led NDA government must go, he said.
Rao, who was briefing on the Telangana government's demand that the Centre must procure paddy produced during the summer season crop in the State, said a team of State Ministers and MPs would go to Delhi on Tuesday to meet Union Minister Piyush Goyal.
The Centre must buy the paddy from Telangana as per MSP, he said.
Claiming that the Centre is procuring 100 per cent produce in Punjab, either wheat or paddy, he said such paddy procurement should happen in Telangana as well.
"You take paddy and pay the MSP. It's simple. As you are doing it in Punjab. Nothing plus, nothing minus," he said.
The TRS would take up a massive agitation otherwise, he said.
Rao said there should be a 'one nation - one procurement' policy in the country.
He sought Constitutional protection for farmers in the country whether it is MSP or others.
Rao reiterated that the Legislative Assembly elections would be held as per schedule in Telangana next year.
TRS would win 95 to 105 seats out of the total 119 seats, he said.
On whether he would be in State politics or national politics, he said time would decide that.
"KCR will go where it is necessary. It is a guarantee that TRS government will be there," he said.
Meanwhile, a press release from the BJP said its State president and MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar and other party leaders met Piyush Goyal in Delhi today and told him that the TRS government is defaming the Centre by claiming that the Centre is doing injustice to Telangana by not procuring summer season paddy.
The release quoted Goyal as having said that the Centre would definitely procure raw rice from Telangana during the summer season.
(With PTI Inputs)