Farmers first govt: KCR

Nanded: Recalling Chhatrapati Shivaji's achievements, Telangana Chief Minister and BRS president K Chandrashekar Rao on Sunday said his party will take a pledge at Shivneri, the erstwhile Maratha ruler's birthplace, to form a government for farmers' welfare in the country.

Speaking at the maiden Bharat Rashtra Samithi's (BRS) public meeting outside Telangana at Nanded, KCR said within 10 days, the BRS' party vehicles will go to every village in all 288 Assembly constituencies in Maharashtra to form farmers' committees.

"We will visit the birthplace of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at Shivneri, bow our heads and take oath for making a farmers' government. The process to make farmers' committees in the entire Maharashtra will begin," he said.

KCR said that he would visit western Maharashtra and North Maharashtra soon to unite all farmers so that 'Ab Ki Baar, Kisan Sarkar' at Centre can be formed.

Pointing out that Maharashtra has recorded the highest number of farmers' suicides in the country, KCR said that the time has come for peasants to take the reins of the country. KCR said political parties and leaders are winning in polls while people are losing. If we unite, it is not impossible to have a pro-farmer government.

He said farmers constitute more than 42 per cent of the population and if the number of farm labourers is also added to that it will be more than 50 per cent which is sufficient to form a government. Rao said that time had come where farmers should be able to make rules.

He said people should think why Maharashtra was facing water shortage though it has several rivers like Krishna and Godavari flowing through the state. People should analyse as to who is responsible for this situation.

"The Congress ruled the country for 54 years and BJP ruled for 16 years. These two parties are 'Kasooravaar' (guilty). I want farmers' suicides to stop. If a farmers' government is formed then the water problem will be solved," Rao added.

He said BRS would make foray into electoral politics in Maharashtra by contesting all Assembly seats and the zilla parishad elections.

Earlier, Rao accompanied by MLC K Kavitha, Minister for Endowments Indrakaran Reddy and some senior leaders offered prayers at a gurudwara in Nanded.