He said that BJP had become stronger in South India as, for the first time, it opened an account in Kerala and claimed a significant vote share in Tamil Nadu.
Published Jul 13, 2024 | 9:55 AM ⚊ Updated Jul 13, 2024 | 9:55 AM
Dharmendra Pradhan addressing Telangana BJP. (Supplied)
Union Minister for Education Dharmendra Pradhan claimed that the recently concluded 2024 Lok Sabha elections have marked a new era for the BJP in South India.
Addressing the media on Friday, 12 June, in Hyderabad, after the BJP Telangana state executive meeting, Pradhan said, “The results debunked the argument that BJP is confined only to North India.”
Speaking of the saffron party’s performance in Telangana, he noted, “It was quite impressive as it gained 35 percent of votes polled in Lok Sabha which is an increase from 14 percent in Assembly elections in November 2023.”
He added: “We have 1,500-day plan to emerge as the No.1 party in Telangana.”
He further noted, that the people of Telangana, interestingly, had given eight Assembly seats and an equal number of Parliament seats in the elections held in November 2023 and the general elections in 2024 respectively.
The Union minister said that the BJP had become stronger in South India as, for the first time, it opened an account in Kerala and claimed a significant vote share in Tamil Nadu.
Launching an attack on the Congress, he said, “On the other hand, Congress had not won even 100 seats and drew a blank in 13 states. Even then, the leaders of the party continue to remain arrogant.” He added that it has been proved that the grand old party is suffering from a leadership vacuum.
He reiterated that the NDA had never, at any stage considered changing the Indian constitution. “It is a campaign by the Congress against us. There is no question of abolition of the reservations which are in fore now,” he said.
The Telangana unit of the party, at the executive meeting, adopted several resolutions, decrying the ruling Congress’ tendency to shy away from implementing its promises.
According to BJP Legislature Party leader Alleti Maheswar Reddy, the BJP questioned Congress why it was not waiving ₹2 lakh crop loans to farmers. He further claimed, that due to the delay the farmers were approaching money lenders for loans at exorbitant rates of interest.
The BJP leader said the party has taken on record the delay in implementing Rythu Bharosa under which it had promised ₹7,500 per acre per farmer, ₹15,000 to tenant farmers per acre per year and ₹12,000 per year to agriculture labourers.
He noted: “Though it has been seven months since it came to power, the Congress government has not yet got around to implementing the promises.”
The party also expressed concern over the delay in payment of fee reimbursement arrears to the private colleges as a result of which the managements were forcing the students to cough up the fee.
“The students are finding it difficult to apply for higher courses with the managements keeping their certificates with them to exert pressure on them to pay up the fees that are due from them.”
Maheshwar Reddy said that the party had decided to intensify agitations to force the Congress government to implement all its promises.
The saffron party also questioned Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, as to why he was not referring the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation “scam” to the CBI. He also wondered what the actual reason behind his reluctance could be.
Maheshwar Reddy added, “Similarly, the chief minister was dragging his feet in entrusting the investigation into phone tapping charges to the CBI. It is imperative that those who have invaded the privacy of individuals should be brought to book.”
(Edited by Sumavarsha Kandula.)
