Likening Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy to his predecessor KCR, BJP Malkajgiri candidate Eatala Rajender says the Congress’ plan to engineer defections will come back to haunt it. On the phone-tapping scandal that has rocked the state, he says his phone too was tapped and believes that the Congress government will face the same fate as BRS if it adopts the methods of KCR. The former minister also said that Revanth, much like KCR, is trying to weaken the Opposition by inducting BRS and BJP leaders into the Congress fold. The BJP nominee said the people will vote for the ‘lotus’ symbol after witnessing positive change under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Excerpts from the interview
You are doing many roadshows and PM Modi also participated in one of them in Malkajgiri. You are contesting from a segment which was represented by Revanth until the Assembly polls. How is your campaign going on?
Revanth has no connection at all with Malkajgiri. After he had lost from Kodangal in the 2018 Assembly elections, he gave a call to keep democracy in balance. People in the segment reacted positively and elected him in the 2019 General Elections. After winning, he never once visited the constituency. He doesn’t have any connection with Malkajgiri. He neither did anything for the constituency nor has he ever cared for it. People also never had any feeling that Revanth was their MP. During my campaigning, they were saying how Revanth did not care for them and urged me to stand with them. In fact, they have known me for 20 years since the Telangana movement. As finance minister, I interacted with them. My rapport with them became strengthened further during the Covid period when I was the health minister. Wherever I go, people remember the services that I had rendered and the courage that I instilled in them.
The BRS candidate is projecting you as a non-local in Malkajgiri. What do you have to say to this?
Does the BRS candidate (Ragidi Laxma Reddy) ever have any connection with the constituency? He has never fought on public issues. It is unbecoming of a candidate to have such a cheap opinion that politics is all about money. During the Telangana movement, after districts, Malkajgiri saw most agitations. As a minister, I served the entire state and did not confine myself to a single constituency. The perception that I am a non-local is wrong. Some people are doing false propaganda. From Adilabad to Alampur and from Bhadrachalam to Tandur, everyone sees me as their leader. Ask them (those making non-local remarks) to come to any chowrasta. They can see every passerby recognising me.
Which is your main opponent — the BRS or Congress?
All the seven Assembly segments under the Malkajgiri constituency have been won by the BRS in the Assembly elections. But after the elections, everything has changed as we expected. Selfish interest is the basis for the relationship between the leadership and cadre in the BRS, not love, affection and loyalty. Even KCR knows that all those around him will desert him once he loses power. The TRS had a sentimental relationship with Telangana people. But by changing the party’s name to BRS, KCR alienated the Telangana people. After the Assembly polls, five of nine BRS LS MPs left the party. In this scenario, people are of the view that there is no use in voting for the BRS. As far as the Congress is concerned, it made six promises before the elections without assessing the state’s financial position. After coming to power, it realised that it could not implement the guarantees and tabled a white paper in the Assembly stating that the state’s financial situation was not good. Recently, when PM Modi visited Telangana, Revanth sought his blessings to bail out the state. All these indicate that you cannot run the state without the support and help of the Centre. You can see how crops are drying up in the northern part of Telangana due to the negligence of the government. In a very short period, the Congress government lost the confidence of people. They voted for the Congress not because of their love for it or out of belief that Revanth would do something for them, but out of anger with KCR. They know that voting for the Congress will be of no use as Rahul Gandhi stands no chance of becoming the PM. After failing to win in UP, the birthplace of Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi, Rahul is contesting from Kerala’s Wayanad. It means the Congress is more or less wiped out in North India which has 400 LS seats. Then how will the Congress form a government at the Centre with merely 40 seats which it may win in the south? Revanth is a different man after becoming the CM and he is talking as if Congress’ victory is a foregone conclusion. He will pay for his reckless talk. On the other hand, PM Modi has won the confidence of all sections of society. Irrespective of caste, religion and culture. People want him to become the PM once again.
There is talk that the BRS deteriorated after KCR suspended you from the party. What do you think?
Actually, the foundation for this was laid in 2015. KCR started taking unilateral decisions, without taking the ministers into confidence. By and by, he behaved like a king. If KCR listened to a person like me and made amends for his mistakes, such a situation would not have arisen. During the Telangana movement, people had the freedom to raise their voices. But after the formation of Telangana state, KCR shifted Dharna Chowk to stifle the voice of the people. It was unthinkable for anyone to meet KCR in Pragathi Bhavan.
There was a time when even ministers could not go to Pragathi Bhavan without an appointment. Not only our phones but also those of our spouses, children and PAs were tapped by KCR. If you cannot trust even 17 ministers, how can you rule the state? Isn’t it unfair? [Former] deputy chief minister T Rajaiah was the victim of phone tapping in 2015 when he was sacked from the Cabinet. If KCR is a real leader enjoying the support of people, then why did he resort to these dirty tricks? In the 2018 elections, KCR hatched a conspiracy to have me defeated. When it failed, he suspended me from the party on trumped-up charges.
What evidence do you have to support your allegation that the current government is tapping your phone? When did you find this out?
Intelligence and counter-intelligence systems should be used to tackle anti-social elements. But unfortunately, nowadays, they are being used against opposition party leaders. It is not a good practice, in my opinion. The previous BRS government purchased tapping equipment through the officers related to the ruling party men to eavesdrop on private’ conversations and blackmail them. According to media reports, even the phones of drug addicts were tapped and money was extorted. In such a situation, do you think that the current government will not resort to the same tactic? The government will go the BRS way if it adopts the same methods as the KCR regime. You cannot escape public backlash.
Revanth and other Congress leaders are alleging that KCR and Modi are colluding to topple the government. What is your opinion?
‘Aaya Ram Gaya Ram’ culture is not new in this country. Former PM Rajiv Gandhi implemented the anti-defection law to curb party-hopping by elected representatives. Only 2/3rd of legislators of one party can join another without attracting the provision of the law. By using the provision, KCR, even after winning 88 seats in the 2018 elections, engineered the defection of the Congress MLAs by offering money and contracts. He undermined democracy by conspiring to ensure that no opposition existed. Now, Revanth is following KCR’s example. Every day, the CM visits the houses of other party MLAs and is spreading rumours that 24 BRS MLAs are in touch with them. He should concentrate on fulfilling the promises made before the elections and problems the people face, rather than encouraging defections. Recently, Komatireddy Venkat Reddy said that eight BJP MLAs were in touch with the Congress. Being a minister, he cannot talk like that. This prompted our leaders to claim that 60 Congress MLAs are in touch with the BJP. It’s not correct to threaten to topple the government. People are watching every development. We have only a pair of eyes, but people have lakhs.
How sure are you of the Revanth-led government completing its full term?
Congress leaders should answer this question. But the one clear thing is that the government has failed to implement the promises even three months after coming to power. During the previous government, KCR used threats and inducements to force the leaders of other parties into joining the BRS. Now, Revanth is also doing the same thing. Recently, the Congress admitted BJP leader Kuna Srisailam Goud and a few corporators into its fold. Engineering defections won’t go down well with the people.
Will BRS MLC Kavitha’s arrest benefit the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections?
Investigative agencies are independent entities. So, the BJP has nothing to do with Kavitha’s arrest. The agencies carry out their duty based on evidence and in accordance with rules. However, the social media propaganda that the BRS and BJP are two sides of the same coin negatively impacted the BJP in the Assembly elections.
There is allegation that the BJP is using Central agencies to create trouble for opposition leaders. What is your view on this?
If people vote for you and give you the power, why are you using that power to make money? AAP was born out of the anti-corruption movement. Now, what is that party doing? Look at the BRS which has more than Rs 900 crore in its bank account. How is it possible for a party to get so much money in 10 years? In the Huzurabad bypoll, it spent approximately Rs 600 crore. If anyone seeks a ticket to contest in the LS elections, some parties are directly asking the aspirants if they can spend Rs 100 crore. For example, the Chevella Congress candidate said he had enough money to fund the election, as did the Malkajgiri candidate. Where did they get so much money from? For Rs 25 crore, an MLA is ready to shift loyalty and for Rs 5 crore a corporator. Is this democracy?
How much money will a candidate spend in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections?
As per ECI norms, a candidate should not spend more than Rs 95 lakh in the LS poll and Rs 40 lakh in the Assembly election. But, in reality, a candidate cannot fight an Assembly election without spending a minimum of Rs 2 crore and Rs 10 crore in a Lok Sabha election. Believe it or not, the BRS splurged hundreds of crores during Huzurabad and Munugode bypolls. People demand money to vote. Even activists, sarpanches and other leaders want money from candidates to vote. This is the sad part of our democracy.
How many seats will the BJP win in the state this time?
The BJP is getting positive response throughout Telangana. If we can do effective election management, we can expect excellent results. As per our expectations, we will win at least 12 seats. If we make more efforts in the remaining seats, we can expect to come second. Though the Congress is trying to misuse its power, the people are with the BJP and PM Modi.
In Malkajgiri, most of the voters are cosmopolitan in outlook. How will you win over such voters?
Though it is a cosmopolitan city, a large number of people came from Telangana districts and settled in the Malkajgiri constituency. It is a newly expanded area with people from districts living here. Though some North Indians are there, I am confident everyone has a positive opinion of me and the BJP.
You associated yourself with KCR for a long time. There is speculation that the BRS may form alliance with the BJP after the elections. What is the future of the BRS and KCR?
I don’t know. But one thing is clear: If the Congress fails, then the BJP will become an alternative political force in the state. The BJP will come to power if the Congress government falls.
You came from PDSU, a leftist outfit, and joined the BJP. How are you able to adopt the BJP ideology?
Working for the welfare of people and the development of the country without any selfishness is the philosophy which I believe in. For example, if Modi decides to construct toilets across the country, is it against Communist ideology? Will the Communist party oppose it? Foreign rulers demolished the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. Today, we have rebuilt it. What is wrong with it? Asking for a right is wrong? Be it communist or rightist, every ideology should seek the welfare of people.
Telangana is facing a drought-like situation. The BRS and the Congress are blaming each other. How do you see it?
If drought is because of natural causes, no one can do anything. Though there is water in some reservoirs, the government is not managing it systematically. People are saying that crops have dried up due to the negligence of the government, with which, I too agree. There is enough drinking water available to endure at least two droughts, but the government has utterly failed in water management.
TNIE team: Kalyan Tholeti, Prasanna RS, Ireddy Srinivas Reddy, S Bachan Jeet Singh, B Kartheek, Manda Ravinder Reddy, Ajay Tomar and Navya Parvathy