He claimed that the so-called soldiers of the Telangana movement, who were using their lungpower against the BRS, were literally non-existent then.
KCR addressing a rally. (X)
Seeking to reignite the Telangana sentiment to form the state government for the third successive term, Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao on Thursday, 26 October, gave it back to TPCC president A Revanth Reddy, who dared him to contest the Assembly elections from Kondangal.
KCR said Reddy was nowhere to be seen when he was struggling to take the movement for a separate state forward.
Addressing his first election rally in Achampet in the second leg of his campaigning for the Telangana Assembly elections, KCR, without mentioning Revanth Reddy by name, said: “There are some people who are daring me to go to Kodangal, or to the Gandhi Statue, or go wielding the harvesting sickle. The entire nation has seen what KCR’s guts are. You are all my guts, aren’t you?”
The chief minister said that on the day of polling on 30 November, the dust should rise into a huge cloud to swamp the Opposition parties.
Sitting MLA G Balarajau, who is seeking re-election, should win with a huge majority, the chief minister said.
ఎన్నికల ప్రచారంలో భాగంగా అచ్చంపేట నియోజకవర్గంలో నిర్వహించిన బీఆర్ఎస్ ప్రజా ఆశీర్వాద సభలో బీఆర్ఎస్ అధినేత, సీఎం శ్రీ కేసీఆర్ పాల్గొని ప్రసంగించారు.#KCROnceAgain#VoteForCar pic.twitter.com/qPEzRUWGB6
— BRS Party (@BRSparty) October 26, 2023
“Every Tom, Dick, and Harry trying to throw challenges at me was nowhere to be seen during our struggle for a separate state, which began 24 years ago,” he said, referring to Revanth Reddy. “Is this politics? If this is politics, what kind of politics is this?”
He said elections might come and go, but it should be the people in the end who win. He added that their lives would be better only after that.
“Personally, we don’t lose anything (if not voted to power). If you defeat us, we will take a rest. We don’t lose or gain anything. But you (people) will lose. It is my responsibility to tell you, as the fighters and achievers of Telangana and to guide Telangana in the right way, it is our duty to tell you,” he said.
He claimed that the “so-called soldiers” of the Telangana movement who were using their lungpower against the BRS were literally non-existent back then.
“After I built the Telangana wave, the separate state became a reality. I am happy to see the Dundubhi river full of water. There are check dams in the district full to the brim,” he said.
He wanted to know where the leaders, who were questioning him now, were when gruel centres were opened in Mahbubnagar for the hungry people affected by drought.
“There were days when we had to walk as long as 5 km for a pitcher of water. Those were the days when we went to Mumbai for livelihood. Did anyone visit us or comfort us then? Will they come to us now if, by any sheer quirk of fate, we may need help or succour?” he asked.
“My appeal to you all is not to get astray by those who are out to hoodwink you. Pay attention to what I am saying now. Once I had led the struggle for Telangana. Now it is your turn to take the Telangana forward. When I set out for Telangana, no one had any faith in me. With a few people by my side, I took the first step forward and continued the journey despite heavy odds,” he added.
“As we were determined and steadfast, the Centre created Telangana state as there was no alternative left,” the BRS chief said.
He wanted the people to compare how Telangana used to be about 10 years ago and how it is now adding that there was no power, water, or any means to irrigate crops back then.
“We used to go out in search of livelihood. The motors of the agriculture pump sets used to burn out. But today, we have a power supply round the clock, which is a first in the entire country,” he said.
Rao alleged that the Congress promised that it would give 20 hours of power to farmers in Karnataka, but ended up being unable to supply electricity even for five hours.
“See what is happening in Karnataka after the Congress won the elections there. The new government could not ensure power supply to the farm sector so much so that the farmers were staging demonstrations.
He also slammed the BJP over Gujarat’s lack of 24-hour power supply. “Except in Telangana, nowhere in the country, including Gujarat, from where the Prime Minister hails, there is a full-time power supply,” he claimed.
Alleging that though the Congress Party ruled for over 50 years after the independence, it never thought of implementing schemes such as Dalit Bandhu.
“They treated Dalits as vote banks. They never worked for us,” he charged, adding had there been such schemes, Dalits would have been like “kings” today.
Referring to the BJP’s style of campaigning, the chief minister said there would be an influx of Union ministers to the state to lecture us on what we should do, neglecting the fact that their state lacks proper water and power supply.
“We have set an example for the entire nation by supplying drinking water to each and every household possible,” he said.
Narrating the achievements of Telangana in the past ten years, KCR said the southern state was developed in such a way that it became a role model in the country over the decade.
Explaining the ruling BRS’ manifesto, he said his party, if voted to power again, would gradually enhance social pension and assistance under the Rythu Bandhu scheme, aimed at farmers’ welfare.
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