KCR kickstarts Telangana Assembly election campaign for BRS from Husnabad

The BRS chief said there was no doubt the BRS would win anywhere between 95 and 100 seats in the 119-member Assembly without any difficulty.

ByRaj Rayasam

Published Oct 15, 2023 | 8:16 PMUpdatedOct 15, 2023 | 8:16 PM

Telangana Chief Minister and BRS chief K Chandrashekar Rao. (Supplied)

After unveiling the BRS’ manifesto in Hyderabad on Sunday, 15 October, Telangana Chief Minister and party chief K Chandrashekar Rao hit the ground running in Husnabad in the Siddipet district, where he sounded the war bugle for the Assembly elections on 30 November.

Exuding confidence of a landslide victory better than the one he pulled off in 2018, KCR said there was no doubt the BRS would win anywhere between 95 and 100 seats in the 119-member Assembly without any difficulty.

It was clear that KCR stole a march over its rivals — the BJP and the Congress — which are still struggling with the finalisation of tickets.

The Congress is now grappling with the fallout of the release of its first list while the BJP is still brooding over the list that is in the making.

Related: Appointment of in-charges puts BRS’ priority seats in focus

Congress on crosshairs

The chief minister that his maiden public meeting after the announcement of the election schedule by the Election Commission of India (ECI) should set the tone for the the party’s thumping victory at the hustings.

“Here in Husnabad, the BRS nominee Satish Babu is going to win by a majority of 60,000 votes,” said KCR, asking the party workers to give wide publicity to the manifesto he released earlier in the day as it was drafted keeping in view the needs of various sections of society.

He said in the 2018 elections, he could win 88 seats after kickstarting the campaign from there. “I am sure this time I am going to better the score,” he said.

While hauling the Congress over the coals for its non-performance during its decades-long innings in power, KCR brought up his rule of nine and a half years, which he said had led the newly created state of Telangana in 2014 from darkness to light.

“Think of how power supply used to be under Congress rule. The farmers used to run from pillar to post to get their motors repaired all the time. The pump sets used to burn out due to the erratic power supply,” he said.

He also pointed out that in contrast, those complaints were now a mere memory as quality power supply was being ensured to the farm sector round the clock.

The BRS supremo cautioned the people against being carried away by the promises of the Congress, which was now approaching them with a request to give them one more opportunity to serve.

“Why should you give another opportunity to them? They were in power for decades. What have they done? Nothing,” he said.

Also read: Telangana set for a bipolar contest, closer than BRS assumed

Highlighting BRS progress

The chief minister advised the voters to act wisely while exercising their franchise. “Don’t cast your vote to a party just because your relatives had suggested. Vote is a weapon with which you could change your destiny and that of the state,” he said.

“Just recall how Telangana used to be nine and a half years ago, and how it is now. In those days, the situation used to be frightening. There used to be no water either to drink or for the crops in the fields. The labourers used to migrate to other states in search of livelihood. The situation forced me to find a path that would take the state on the road to prosperity which I could,” he said.

He said that after the creation of the Telangana state, the responsibility on him grew even more.

“I had to take the state forward. I called economic experts from various parts of the country and had a series of brainstorming sessions with them on what was best for me to do for the fledgling state,” he said.

He said he moved forward despite odds and conspiracies to pull him done. “As I refused to deviate from my path, slowly I could see signs of development in the state. By degrees, we could help the state move on the road to development. As a result, per capita income and power consumption began going up. The state has now risen to occupy No: 1 position in the country on several development indices,” he said.