BJP central leadership released a 'second list' with just one name — AP Mithun Reddy — for the Mahbubnagar Assembly constituency.
Published Oct 27, 2023 | 7:33 PM ⚊ Updated Oct 27, 2023 | 7:33 PM
Amit Shah speaking in Suryapet. (Supplied)
In what should come as music to the ears of Backward Class (BC) leaders in the BJP, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday, 27 October, said that if the BJP comes to power in Telangana, a BC leader would be made the chief minister.
The Union home minister made the major announcement at a huge public meeting at Suryapet while questioning why Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao had gone back on his promise of making a Dalit the chief minister and allotting three acres of land to each Dalit family in the state.
There are three important BC leaders in Telangana BJP — MLA Eatala Rajender (Mudhiraj), MPs Bandi Sanjay Kumar, and Dharmapuri Arvind (both Munnuru Kapus).
Amit Shah, without naming any one of them, however, made it clear that the BJP had decried to make a BC the chief minister if it came to power. The BJP leader was eyeing the support of the BC population which is expected to be more than 50 percent of the total population
Though there has been talk that Eatala would be projected as the BC chief minister candidate of the BJP, Amit Shah neither gave any indication to this effect. Nor did he drop any hint that either Bandi Sanjay or Arvind would be the party’s BC CM face.
“Today, I want to tell the people of Telangana: You bless BJP and make a BJP government, BJP’s next chief minister of Telangana would be from the Backward Classes. We have decided this,” he said.
The top BJP leader said that the saffron party always thought about the welfare and empowerment of BCs but it was KCR who forgot about his assurances of allotting ₹10,000 crore per year for their welfare.
He said: “KCR is against the poor, the Dalits and the BCs, but the Centre cared about them by constituting a BC Commission.”
Packing a punch at BRS and the Congress, Amit Shah said both parties toiled for the welfare of their families.
“KCR wants to make his son KTR the chief minister. Sonia Gandhi wants to make her son Rahul Gandhi the prime minister,” he said.
He pointed out that they had no time for the poor and their welfare.
“They cannot take the nation forward. It is the BJP that alone can do a whale of good for the people. The BRS and the Congress will not do anything for the people,” he said.
He said that the prime minister had announced Tribal University named after Sammakka Sarakka University in Mulugu district, and the establishment of turmeric board for the benefit of farmers.
The Union government has taken the initiative to do justice to them by entrusting the responsibility of deciding Telangana’s share of Krishna waters to the Krishna Water Tribunal, he said.
The home minister invited the people of Surypet for the inauguration of the Ram Temple at Ayodhya on 22 January. He appeared visibly happy to convey the decision of the Ram Temple Trust announcing the date.
He made the audience say that they would visit the Ram temple. He said Lord Ram, who has been taking shelter in a tent for the last 500 years, will now move into a temple touching the skyline of Ayodhya.
Meanwhile, the BJP central leadership released a “second list” declaring only one name — AP Mithun Reddy, son of former MP AP Jitender Reddy —for the Mahbubnagar Assembly constituency. In the first list, the party announced the names of candidates for 52 Assembly constituencies.
Earlier, on his way to the rally at Suryapet, Shah is said to have discussed party affairs in the run-up to the election with BJP state president G Kishan Reddy and other leaders on Friday.
He reportedly enquired about the party’s winning prospects in the 30 November elections and also wanted to know the reasons for leaders quitting the party and joining the Congress, which failed to secure even deposits in the three Assembly byelections held in Dubakka, Huzurabad, and Munugode.
The question came in the light of the exit of two former MLAs — Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy and Y Ravinder Reddy — who left the saffron party and joined the Congress.
The state leaders believed to have informed him that one of the primary reasons for the exodus was that the BJP failed to take action against the corrupt practices of the ruling BRS despite being in power in New Delhi.
The BJP’s drubbing in Karnataka also prompted many leaders to join the Congress.
Rajagopal Reddy and Ravinder Reddy joined the Congress in the presence of Congress president M Mallikarjun Kharge and Telangana state president A Revanth Reddy in New Delhi on Friday.
