Naidu shani for Andhras in Telangana: KCR

​Hyderabad: Caretaker Chief Minister and TRS chief K Chandrashekar Rao on Tuesday called Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu “shani” to the natives of AP residing in Telangana and instead asked them to refer to themselves as Telanganites.

The caretaker Chief Minister was replying to a question raised by the Opposition party leaders’ alleging and targeting the settlers in Telangana. Chandrashekar Rao said that these were ‘Chillara’ politics by the Opposition party leaders. “Why they should call themselves as Andhra... claim yourself as Telanganites... don’t brand yourself as Andhra. The State has been peaceful during the last four years. 

The same Chandrababu Naidu and gang threatened that their properties will be snatched away but to the contrary they are living peacefully. Andhra natives living in Telangana are sons of Telangana. We gave tickets to 12 persons and all of them have won and now there are eight to ten MLA candidates,” Rao said. Leave the Andhra feeling, you are respectable citizens of Telangana, he told the settlers. 

Rao justified his attack on the Telugu Desam Party chief and stated that he was a political leader and was subject to criticism. He said that Naidu’s party would not get even deposits. He alleged that Chandrababu Naidu spent Rs 100 crore in Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) elections but lost badly and people were living beautifully and peacefully.

When asked about TDP chief’s comment that he wanted to have alliance with the TRS, Rao said, “Who will have alliance with the TDP? We don’t want any alliance with the TDP. The Congress will get vanished for having alliance with the TDP.”

Rao said that the victory of the TRS was a foregone conclusion. “We are not in the range of 80-90 seats, we are at 107 seats. The Congress leaders are saying I am afraid of Rahul Gandhi’s meetings. Will I be feared of Rahul Gandhi? I brought elections by dissolving Assembly. We wanted the growth rate not to be stopped and a stable political system,” he added.

The TRS president said that the TRS consolidated its position in all the districts. He said that in last election also the TRS was number one party in terms of seats in south Telangana. Chandrashekar Rao said that he would not change the candidates. “There may be expectation from the candidates... it is not wrong, but I will not change candidates. You wrote I will change 40 candidates, I didn’t and gave tickets to sitting MLAs and now I will not change candidates,” Rao said.

Replying to a question, the TRS chief said that Congress leader S Jaipal Reddy was losing balance with his talks. The caretaker Chief Minister said that Jaipal Reddy’s age was catching and hence he was losing balance while talking. Replying to another question, he said that the party will suspend anyone who indulges in anti-party activities stating that the party would kick them off.