Gudur appeals defected MLAs to return to Congress fold

Hyderabad : "Chevella Chellamma, Malli Ravamma," appealed Congress senior leader and TPCC Treasurer Gudur Narayana Reddy asking Maheshwaram MLA P. Sabitha Indira Reddy and other Congress MLAs who defected to TRS to return to party fold.

Addressing a press conference at Gandhi Bhavan on Wednesday, Narayana Reddy welcomed the results of MLC elections wherein Congress-backed candidates won from all three teachers and graduate constituencies with huge majority. "The mood of people of Telangana was already against TRS in Assembly elections. However, Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao manipulated EVMs and indulged in other irregularities to win the polls. The MLC elections, which were held on ballot paper, have proved that it was the Congress, and not the TRS, for whom people have voted in last elections and wants to vote in future. Therefore, the Congress party is bound to win a majority of seats in forthcoming Lok Sabha elections," he said.

Gudur Narayana Reddy said teachers, employees and graduates have voted against the TRS-backed candidates in MLC constituencies spread across 42 Assembly segments covering 7 erstwhile undivided districts of Telangana. Congress leader T. Jeevan Reddy has won from a graduate constituency which includes Sircilla (represented by KTR) and Nizamabad (represented by K. Kavitha) with a majority of over 39,000 votes. "This has proved that the defeat Jeevan Reddy suffered in the last Assembly elections was purely due to EVM manipulation by TRS. Similar is the case with other Assembly constituencies in Telangana," he said.

The Congress leader said that the people were fed up with the rule of KCR. "Even if we acknowledge that TRS got a huge mandate in December 2018, people have lost faith on KCR in just three months. He has failed to fulfil any of the promises which he made with the people and now trying to divert people's attention. "KCR is promising to do wonders if TRS wins 16 MPs. In previous term, TRS had 15 MPs, but still failed to achieve anything. What he would do with an additional MP this time?" he asked.

Gudur Narayana Reddy said that the use of ballot papers in MLC elections have proved that the EVMs were tampered or manipulated in the last Assembly elections. "When most advanced countries like Japan which invented EVM are using ballot papers and even a super power like USA was not using EVMs, then why India, which is still a developing country, wants to use only EVMs. It has been proved time and again that EVMs could be tampered and therefore, the Election Commission of India must review its stand on. The ECI needs to wake up and restore the use of ballot papers. Till then, it should accept demands for counting of VVPATs by the candidates," he demanded.

"KCR is losing his relevance and dominance in Telangana. Forthcoming Lok Sabha elections are a straight fight between Prime Minister Narender Modi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi. While Modi has shattered the dreams of crores of people by not fulfilling any of the electoral promises, Rahul Gandhi is winning the people's hearts with his vision, commitment and truthful approach. Therefore, people of Telangana must vote for Congress candidates in forthcoming Lok Sabha polls," he said.

Gudur Narayana Reddy, who had contested the MLC elections under MLAs quota and had to boycott the elections following defection of Congress MLAs to TRS, appealed his ex-colleagues to return home. "What did Sabitha Indira Reddy or her son Karthik has achieved by joining TRS? KCR did not even give them the ticket to contest from Chevella seat. KCR has ruined the political careers of several senior leaders like Nalgonda MP Gutha Sukhender Reddy who was neither given a cabinet berth or a ticket to contest Lok Sabha elections. Several top leaders who joined TRS in the past met with the same fate. KCR will be remembered for ruining the political careers of many promising leaders. Therefore, all the MLAs who had defected to TRS should return to the Congress fold," he appealed.