HYDERABAD: AICC General Secretary in-charge of Communications and MP Jairam Ramesh has described AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi as a force fuelled by the BJP to cut into the Congress votes while explaining how the BJP operates to further its electoral strategies. In an exclusive interview with TNIE, Jairam Ramesh said the Congress was on the rise in the state and would be able to overcome challenges.
Excerpts:
How is your party’s campaign going on?
We have covered the entire territory. After campaigning ended in Rajasthan on November 23, the big guns of the Congress, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, have intensified their campaign in Telangana. In fact, a campaign at the national level has been going on in the form of Bharat Jodo Yatra for almost one year. CLP leader Bhatti Vikramarka and PCC president Revanth Reddy also took out padayatras.
As you said, the Congress big guns such as Rahul, Priyanka, Kharge, KCVenugopal, DK Shivakumar and many more leaders are campaigning in the state. Why concentrate so much on Telangana?
This is the Vidhan Sabha election. So, it’s the local leaders who would campaign. We are coming in to support the campaign. All of them campaigned in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Mizoram. I went to Mizoram. It’s natural. Why is Modi coming here? Congress is a national party, we have strong regional roots. Our primary campaign is our candidate and our local leaders. The national leaders come and give a national flavor as they are well-recognized.
The Congress has promised six guarantees for the people of Telangana, but the state budget is around Rs 3 lakh crore. According to an estimate, it requires an additional Rs 1 lakh crore to fulfill them. Where do you get that kind of money?
Economic growth will do the trick. When Telangana was formed, the budget’s size was Rs 1.40 lakh crore. But revenue growth keeps on increasing. As it increases, so does tax collection. When MGNREGA and the National Food Security Act were brought in by the Manmohan Singh government, these questions were raised. We found the money. When there is a will, there is a way. That money came in not through additional taxation, but by revenue growth, and better administration. That is how we found Rs 70,000 crore to Rs 80,000 crore for MGNREGA.
Congress seems to have relied more on anti-incumbency in this election. Is that the case?
The election issue that we have raised is: What did Telangana get in the last nine years? What have farmers and youth got?
Who is your principal opponent in Telangana?
It is the BRS. But, it is the B-team of BJP and the C-team of AIMIM. We are fighting against three parties. But, actually, we are fighting one party with three brands. Modi believes in one country and one party. But, here there is one party in three brands — BRS, BJP AIMIM.
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has been attacking the Congress in this election. He even challenged Rahul to contest against him in the Hyderabad Lok Sabha seat. He also called your TPCC chief RSS Anna. How do you see these developments?
Owaisi is well-educated, polished and speaks well. But, he gets oxygen from the BJP. His whole objective in politics is to cut Congress votes so that the BJP can win. He has done it in Maharashtra and Bihar, and tried to do it in UP. He is doing it in other states and certainly doing it in Telangana. BJP gives oxygen to MIM and MIM gives oxygen to BJP. They are two sides of the same coin.
AIMIM is contesting in only nine seats in Telangana. How do you see this?
He has his candidates in his strongholds. But he has put up a candidate in other seats. We broke that stronghold in the first week of November 2022, when Rahul Gandhi went to Charminar and unfurled the national flag during Bharat Jodo Yatra. But, he puts up candidates in other constituencies, not to win but to cut the Congress votes and help the BJP or the BRS.
Can the AIMIM dent the Congress prospects by polarising Muslim votes in the ensuing elections?
He will do his best to polarise votes. BJP knows nothing but polarisation. Owaisi knows nothing but polarization. I told you, they are two sides of the same coin. I am not denying the fact that there are six or seven seats in Hyderabad which are his strongholds. But, I think this time around Owaisi is going to get shocked in his territory. He is not going to get the number that he hopes to get.
Probably Owaisi is thinking that he is going to win all the nine seats that his party is contesting.
He is going to get a shock. Mark my words, and call me if he doesn’t get a shock.