HYDERABAD: In a major setback to former MP Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy in Khammam, the BRS on Thursday admitted Tellam Venkat Rao, the former MP’s close aide, into the party. Venkat Rao had migrated to the Congress from the pink party just a month ago, along with Srinivasa Reddy.
“In just a month’s time, Venkat Rao realised that continuing in the Congress is like holding the tail of a dog and swimming in the Godavari river,” BRS working president KT Rama Rao said, after welcoming him into the party fold at Telangana Bhavan.
Congratulating the Khammam leader for returning to the BRS, he promised that the party would take care of the political future of Venkat Rao and other leaders who joined the BRS on Thursday. Rama Rao said that the ‘Jal, Jangal, Zameen’ slogan of Komaram Bheem is an inspiration for the BRS government and already, crops were being raised in one crore acres in this Kharif season.
The BRS government implemented Mission Bhagiratha, distributed podu pattas for 4.5 lakh acres and provided Rythu Bandhu and Rythu Bima for farmers, he said. Rama Rao asked whether the Congress government in Chhattisgarh was providing podu pattas to tribals or Rythu Bandhu for farmers. “Why should we vote for Congress, which failed to help the farmers,” Rama Rao asked.
The minister said that the people would not believe even if the Congress promises to provide Rs 40,000 Aasara pension per month.“The TPCC president said that three-hour power was sufficient to farmers,” he recalled and asked the people to think whether the Congress, “which could not tolerate the implementation of welfare schemes for farmers”, was necessary for Telangana.
Rama Rao claimed that even Congress leaders were benefiting from the welfare schemes of the BRS such as Rythu Bandhu and Rythu Bima. Rama Rao also assured that Bhadradri temple would be reconstructed like Yadagirigutta temple, once the BRS retains power after the next elections. He said that the BRS government initiated permanent measures to protect the people of Bhadrachalam from floods.
‘Next PM with BRS support’
Rama Rao said that no one could become prime minister after the Lok Sabha elections without the support of the BRS. He said that the victory of the BRS in the Assembly elections would lay a foundation for the party to win a majority of Lok Sabha seats and play a key role at the national level.
The BRS working president called upon the people to elect BRS MLAs in over 90 Assembly segments and in all Lok Sabha seats to strengthen the hands of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao so that he can play a key role at the Centre.
Transport Minister Puvvada Ajay Kumar averred that the BRS would score a hat-trick in the Assembly elections and KCR would become CM for the third consecutive time.