Rahul Gandhi sure of Congress win in Telangana

​Hyderabad: Apparently in reply to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s assertion that he would get more seats in the next Lok Sabha elections than what he has now, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday exuded confidence that his party would come to power at the Centre, regardless of the machinations of the saffron party.

He was equally confident that the Congress would come back to power in Telangana, ending the despotic rule of K Chandrasekhar Rao and his Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS). He came down heavily on the BJP for failing to implement the promises made to Telangana and Andhra Pradesh in the AP Reorganisation Act and reiterated that the Congress would implement them after it comes to power. 

Addressing a public meeting at Serilingampally, Rahul Gandhi alleged that the Modi government at the Centre and KCR government in the state were similar in functioning, authoritarian and dictatorial. The Congress president said the Prime Minister had promised to deposit Rs 15 lakh in accounts of each person of the country, but he conveniently forgot about it during the las four years.  At the same time, Chandrasekhara Rao in Telangana too has failed to implement double bedroom housing scheme promised by him for all those who are shelter-less. 

He alleged that Anil Ambani was the beneficiary of Prime Minister’s largesse in the Rafale Jet Fighter deal. The industrialist accompanies the Prime Minister during his tours to France. The Centre has been speaking in two tongues on the deal. While the Defence Minister says that the price of jet fighters was a secret, the Prime Minister denies it. 

“During the discussion on the Rafale deal in the Lok Sabha recently, the Prime Minister was unable to look into my eyes. He looks left or right or down when I tried to look into his eyes. “Only a thief has such looks,” Rahul said. He alleged that Hyderabad has become the capital for corruption, and Dalits are denied three acres of land promised by the TRS. 

While there were about 1.50 lakh vacant posts in government departments, only 10,000 had so far been filled. The TRS government has turned Telangana into a debt-ridden state from a surplus state. As many as 4,000 farmers had committed suicides in the state in the past four years. The KCR government has supported the NDA government when it demonetised high value currency notes and implemented draconian GST. 

Rahul Gandhi said that the he would not go back on the promises being made by him. He never went back on his words since his entry into politics from 2004. “I cannot make promises like depositing Rs 15 lakh in your bank accounts,” he said. 

He alleged that only the people in suit would be provided with benefits like loan waiver under the dispensation of Modi. The media in Telangana has been denied the freedom in reporting news objectively. He promised that Telangana would get ‘freedom’ after the Congress forms its government in the state. 

Rahul Gandhi made it clear that those who fight at the field level would be given party tickets. Those who land with parachute during the elections would not be nominated. Those who work for the party would be given due recognition, he added.  

Senior Congress leader S Jaipal Reddy said the next elections would be a fight like the one between Rama and Ravana. While Sonia Gandhi ensured statehood to Telangana, Chandrasekhara Rao has stolen it from the people. He said if Rahul Gandhi wanted to go to Osmania University no one could have stopped him. However, with a spirit of democracy the Congress president did not visit it. 

The meeting had a surprise guest in AP Congress president N Raghuveera Reddy. In his address, he said that though the combined state has been divided, people are living like brothers. For the Congress, both Telangana and AP are the same, he said. 

PCC president Uttam Kumar Reddy, who chaired the public meeting criticized the government for corruption and inefficiency. ​Leader of Opposition in Assembly K Jana Reddy called upon the people to end the rule of the TRS in the state. People of the state have been cheated by the false promises made by TRS chief K Chandrasekhara Rao. 

In his address, LOP in Council Mohammad Shabbir Ali said that it was the Congress which granted statehood to Telangana and it was the party which helped Chandrasekhara Rao become the Chief Minister.