HYDERABAD: Pointing out that Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised houses for all by 2022, TRS working president KT Rama Rao on Friday said that the PM was now constructing his residence by spending an estimated Rs 435 crore of public money.
Rama Rao insisted that the 2024 General Elections were the target for the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and the newly-launched national party would go to the people with a positive agenda. “We do not have any negative agenda. Our aim is not to defeat the BJP. We have a positive agenda which is to win over the divisive forces in the country,” he said.
In an informal chat with reporters here on Friday, Rama Rao compared BRS with a movie. “A Telugu movie with content will become a pan-India hit. Big-budget movies without content will not be accepted by people. Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has commitment, content and vision. If such a leader launches a national party, it will get acceptance from the people across the country,” Rama Rao said.
Kishan’s phone was tapped too: KTR
On Union Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy’s comments regarding phone tapping, Rama Rao said that Pegasus was also on the phones of reporters. “Pegasus has surreptitiously installed in around 10,000 phones, including my phone. They have access to all my information. Even Kishan Reddy’s phone was tapped by Modi. Unfortunately, Kishan Reddy does not know that,” Rama Rao said.
Not a fight for power
He said that the TRS supremo’s fight was not for power. “He would try to bring the attention of the people of the country on genuine issues,” Rama Rao averred and compared Rao with Jayaprakash Narayan and VP Singh, who had won the hearts of the people in the past. He said that the TRS name was changed as the word Telangana would not be acceptable for a national party. Rama Rao termed the BJP as ‘Bahu rupa party’ (multifaceted party) with ED, CBI and other agencies.
“We are ready to face those hunting dogs (Central agencies),” the IT Minister asserted.
Asked whether BRS could not be treated as a Telangana party in other states, he replied that BJP was known as a Gujarat party. “The BJP was creating confusion among the people by raking up non-issues like what to eat and what to wear and trying to win elections. However, the BRS will explain the schemes being implemented in Telangana and see that the vibrant Telangana model is implemented across the country,” Rama Rao said, terming the Gujarat model a “Golmaal model”.
Time on hand
The TRS working president recalled that Rao had fought a long battle to achieve separate Telangana. “We are not expecting any response overnight for the BRS. We have one-and-a-half years before the Lok Sabha polls. We will thoroughly expose the Narendra Modi government,” he said. Stating that they would channelise their energies in other States, Rama Rao said he was receiving calls from Odisha and AP too after the TRS name was changed to BRS.
The official launch of BRS and the date and venue of the first public meeting of the BRS would be decided only after the Election Commission of India (ECI) gives its nod for the change of name of the TRS. It will take at least three weeks for the ECI to make a decision. The TRS has asked the ECI to freeze the car symbol of the TRS across the country so that the BRS could contest the same symbol in other States.
On Congress & its crises
Asked about Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra, Rama Rao said that once the Congress leader entered Telangana from Karnataka, he would notice the difference between the two states. “We have implemented several welfare schemes. Rahul will go back happy,” he remarked. He, however, pointed out that when Rahul Gandhi was on his padayatra in Kerala, Congress MLAs in Goa left the party. “The Congress is facing an existential crisis in the country. The Congress has failed miserably as the principal Opposition party,” Rama Rao said.
‘Ahead in Munugode’
Rama Rao said that the TRS was ahead of other parties in the Munugode Assembly bypoll, for which the nomination process started on Friday. As per a survey, the TRS was ahead of others by 12 to 13 per cent votes, Rama Rao said.
He alleged that the BJP candidate was trying to spend Rs 500 crore for Munugode bypoll in order to distribute Rs 30,000 per vote. “It is a fight between a contractor (BJP candidate Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy) and the self-respect of Munugode people,” Rama Rao said.
The TRS working president alleged that Rajagopal’s firm got contracts worth Rs 22,000 crore worth. For the sake of Rs 5,000 crore profit, Rajagopal Reddy joined the BJP, he alleged. Incidentally, the TRS cleared the candidature of former MLA Kusukuntla Prabhakar Reddy for Munugode on Friday.