BJP resorting to petty politics: Errabelli Dayakar Rao

Hanumakonda: BJP needs to stop petty politics, Minister for Panchayat Raj Errabelli Dayakar Rao said, speaking to media persons here on Thursday along with Rythu Bandhu Samithi State chairman Palla Rajeshwar Reddy.

Although the BJP-led Central government had declared that it will not procure paddy, Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao has assured farmers of purchasing the produce. "Instead of demanding the Centre, BJP State president Bandi Sanjay staged Rythu Deeksha in Hyderabad. It's ridiculous," Errabelli said. He demanded the BJP leaders resign from their posts if they fail to make the Centre to purchase the paddy. He said that the TRS government has been urging the Centre to purchase paddy for the last four months but there was no response from the latter.

The BJP was trying to gain mileage in the election to Huzurabad Assembly seat by feigning support to the farmers and spreading false information, Errabelli said. BJP candidate Eatala Rajender, who enjoyed power in the TRS, turned a betrayer to the party, he said. TRS candidate Gellu Srinivas Yadav is unblemished and will win the by-poll hands down, he added.

He said that the government had already opened paddy procurement centres in villages. There was nothing to worry for the farmers as the government is committed to procure paddy produced in the rabi season also, he added. Telangana is the only State to spend Rs 60,000 crore per annum for irrigation and agriculture sectors, he said.

Palla Rajeshwar Reddy said that Bandi Sanjay was resorting to mudslinging against the TRS by spreading misinformation about the procurement of paddy. "Telangana is the only State in the country to provide power and irrigation facilities free of cost to the farmers. KCR introduced many welfare schemes such as Rythu Bandhu, Rythu Bima etc to save the distressed agriculture sector," Palla said.