KHAMMAM: Stating that regional parties are going to play a key role in the coming days, Chief Minister and BRS supremo K Chandrasekhar Rao said the interests of states are going to be protected only if there are regional players.
Addressing election meetings in Khammam and Kothagudem on Sunday, he stated that the Congress and BJP are cut from the same cloth. “Did they (BJP and Congress) ever raise the flag of Telangana? Did they ever take the Telangana struggle on their shoulders? They only insulted us, fired at us and put us in jails whenever we started (Telangana struggle). Why would they have love (towards the state),” he said.
Stating that Khammam was in extremely bad shape when he visited during the Congress regime, the chief minister said the BRS government had transformed the city by spending thousands of crores of public funds. “During the Congress regime, people were suffering due to the shortage of power and water supply. However, people are now getting uninterrupted power supply and ample drinking water,” he added.
“After the BRS wins a record third time and forms a government in Telangana, I will inaugurate the Sita Rama Lift Irrigation Project (SRLIP),” KCR declared. Switching to Urdu, he urged the minorities to vote for the pink party, which, he said, stood up for their rights. The Congress had spent “only Rs 900 crore” for minorities during its regime while the BRS government had already allocated over Rs 12,000 crore, he averred.
Targeting Congress leaders Thummala Nageswara Rao and Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy, he termed them ‘Karkataka damanulu’ (cunning). KCR mentioned that Khammam had become peaceful now that both the leaders had left the pink party.
The BRS chief said Srinivasa Reddy had earlier prevented party candidates from contesting for an Assembly seat from the erstwhile Khammam district. “People will not tolerate such antics and taught him a befitting lesson,” he remarked.
Additionally, he urged the residents to vote for Transport Minister Puvvada Ajay Kumar, who is the BRS candidate from Khammam. Addressing the crowd in Khammam, Ajay said, “I did my utmost during my nine-year tenure as the minister for Khammam. If the people bless me again, I will continue to work for development and address the concerns of the people.”
Khammam MP Nama Nageswara Rao, Rajya Sabha member Vaddiraju Ravichandra, MLAs Kandala Upender Reddy and Sandra Venkata Veeraiah, MLC Tata Madhu and others also participated in the event.
KCR says BRS govt transformed SCCL
At the meeting in Kothagudem, the chief minister stated that the BRS government had successfully turned the Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL), which was ignored by the Congress during its regime, into a profitable enterprise. He highlighted that under the State government, the company’s turnover had increased from Rs 11,000 crore to Rs 33,000 crore. Furthermore, the government implemented a 3% increment to employees and created about 15,256 dependent jobs. Additionally, the compensation for the death of employees increased from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 10 lakh under the BRS government, KCR added. Approximately 22,000 house site pattas were distributed under GO 76 in Kothagudem, he stated.Kothagudem BRS candidate, Vanama Venkateswara Rao, and other party members were also in attendance at the event.
Ajay in no position to criticise others: Thummala
Former minister and Congress candidate for Khammam, Thummala Nageswara Rao, responded to BRS leaders over their allegations and remarks.He pointed out that Ajay Kumar had changed parties four times and, as a result, does not have the right to criticise others.
He also mentioned that due to Ajay Kumar, his father, Nageswara Rao, had become unpopular. Additionally, he stated that he had attempted to protect the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) until the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh. It was only when KCR requested his support that he joined the BRS, he added.
Thummala drew an analogy, likening KCR to a non-useful “vayyari bhama” and suggested that a “tumma” tree would be more beneficial for farmers. He further alleged that Ajay Kumar had misappropriated funds related to Gollapadu channel works and accused him of installing central lighting systems on small streets for commissions.
Additionally, the Congress leader claimed that he had played a role in KCR obtaining a ministerial position in former chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s cabinet.He said that lying was not a new occurrence for the BRS supremo, and thus, his statements should be taken with caution. Tummala said people are ready to vote against Ajay Kumar on November 30.
