TRS has no answer for early polls: Congress leader Sircilla Rajaiah

Hanamkonda: At a time when the focus is on brainstorming debating on pros and cons of jamili elections (conducting of Lok Sabha and Assembly polls for all States at once), it’s surprising to see the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) opting for early elections, former MP and senior Congress leader Sircilla Rajaiah said.

Addressing a press conference here on Monday, he said the TRS government, which dissolved the Assembly nine months earlier than the schedule, is searching for answers to buttress its decision. “All that TRS leaders could do is to point finger at the Opposition parties, especially the Congress.

The TRS wants to silence its opposite ranks by opting for early polls which is ridiculous,” he said, stating that Opposition will always be there to raise clamour over the ruling party’s anti-people policies and ‘misdeeds’.

Even though there was no possibility of jamili elections in the country, Telangana Assembly polls are used to hold along with Lok Sabha elections, he said, faulting the TRS government for separating it by opting for early polls and leaving a huge burden on the State exchequer.

He said that it’s time for the Congress leaders and cadres to gird up their loins to put up a concerted effort to unseat the TRS government which totally failed to focus on the very concept of separate Telangana demand – neellu, nidhulu and niyamakalu (water, resources and jobs).

Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao has been wasting people’s money in the name of redesigning of irrigation projects, Rajaiah said, referring the instance – laying of pipeline between Bhim Ghanpur and Ramappa – that cost the government hundreds of crores of rupees.

Referring to the Rythu Bandhu scheme, the former MP said that though the concept is to provide agricultural investment to the farmers, it’s not reaching the real farmers. The scheme is providing no succour to the tenant and poor farmers, he said, stating that it was only reaching the affluent sections.

KCR, who ignored farmers for better part of his tenure, has suddenly come up with Rythu Bandhu scheme for obvious reasons, Rajaiah said, accusing the TRS chief of not consoling the families of farmers who ended their lives.

KCR, who failed to fulfil his promises, is trying to bluff the people, which is not fair. KCR should remember that he is the Chief Minister and should ensure his words turned into deeds, he said. He also criticised the TRS government for not accommodating even a single woman in its Cabinet.

Responding to a query, Rajaiah said that he was not in the race to contest for the Assembly. “I am ready to contest Lok Sabha seat next year if the Congress high command directs him,” he added.