Hyderabad: Predicting 8 to 12 seats for BRS in the general elections, BRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao said BJP will have to settle for either 1 seat or no seat in Telangana. He said that Congress would face the wrath of the people as a result of its reckless and unfulfilled guarantees.
During a televised interview with a Telugu news channel on Tuesday, Rao expressed confidence in BRS coming to power in the state whenever the elections are held, and him becoming the chief minister again.
On being asked whether he was predicting the Congress government to fall, he said that though he couldn’t predict what was going to happen, there is every possibility of that happening after the Lok Sabha elections.
“Right after the general elections, BJP is going to finish the government in Himachal Pradesh. Then they will pull the Congress government down, and then comes the turn of Telangana,” he said, also mentioning that as a democratic person, he would wish the Congress government to complete its five-year term.
On whether BRS would be looking to form a coalition government if the necessity comes, he said that as per the circumstances decision will be taken.
On BRS losing elections
Chandrasekhar Rao clearly stated that it was neither his mistake nor that of his MLAs, as the difference in vote share between Congress and BRS was just 1.8 percent, and that in some of the constituencies, his MLAs have lost with a narrow margin of votes.
“Our party was not routed. We were just rejected by the people,” he said.
He said that a small percentage of voters were perhaps expecting more and they got swayed by the Congress’ guarantees and 420 promises included in Congress’ manifesto.
Kaleshwaram corruption charges
On Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme and Medigadda barrage issue, Rao said that it was only to defame him that Congress was using the damage to Medigadda barrage as a weapon against him. He said that in the entire KLIS, only in the 7th block of Medigadda barrage, out of 11 pillars 2 or 3 pillars had developed cracks.
He suggested that instead of emptying the entire Godavari water, the State government could have used sandbags to temporarily to stop the flow of water and could have drawn 2-3 tmcft of water every day, which could have saved Mid Manair reservoir from going dry, and could have saved the farmers’ crops.
He warned that he would launch a people’s movements if the State government failed to make Kaleshwaram operational again, and if it didn’t complete the “80 percent completed” PRLIS ( Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme).
“If they think that by playing cheap tricks they can erase the impressions of KCR on Telangana they are foolish. KCR is the history of Telangana and he made Telangana. I achieved Telangana and I ruled it for 10 years. Twenty-five years of politics here have revolved around me,” he said.
Debt allegations
“Street language is different and running a government is different. Even the most wealthy country in the world has the highest debt. Telangana’s debt to GSDP ratio is lower than 23 states in the country,” he said, underlining that any government will prioritise the work as per the needs of its people, which was the reason why irrigation, drinking water, desilting of irrigation tanks among others, were taken up by BRS government.
Defection of BRS leaders
Talking about Kadiam Srihari, Rao said that it was BRS that had leased him another political life by making him an MP, then MLC, and then the deputy chief minister.
“His karma is not well, so he buried his political career. Kadiyam leaving the party has benefited the BRS in Warangal, and you’ll see it in the Lok Sabha election,” Rao said, reiterating that only a handful were leaving the party, who will not be welcomed again even if they fell at his feet.
On Kavitha’s arrest
Rubbishing the Delhi Liquor Scam as ‘bogus’ which has been created by Prime Minister Modi, Rao questioned how was it a scam.
“First they said she was a witness in the case. Now they have made her an accused. There was no money recovered. It is not a scam but Modi’s political scheme, a cock and bull story which has been created by the Modi government, a terrible sin by Modi,” he said.
He said that he was confident about his daughter coming out clean like a pearl in the case.
Accusing Modi of using the investigative agencies to punish the innocents, he said that the Delhi Liquor Scam was a story weaved in the air.
Phone tapping case
“Firstly, any provincial or national government will have a spy and intelligence system. The intelligence department has various wings for intelligence gathering, and it is a usual activity for the police department, which is done by getting permission from the home secretary. It will happen under the purview of the home minister. If the police believe that they should intercept someone’s calls, they’ll do it. The chief ministers and the cabinet have nothing to do with it,” he said.
Terming the allegations against BRS government as “silly, absurd, and a mischief done by third-class thinkers who were playing bankrupt politics,” Rao stated that a chief minister wouldn’t know what gadgets the police department sources, and that it is their internal matter which is the domain of the DGP and IG Intelligence.
He, however, said that any official misusing the authority will have to face the law.
Will BRS become TRS again?
KCR stated that there was no such option left, as the Election Commission of India would freeze the name and hold that identity for five years or so. “There is no need to go back to the earlier name. It is not the symbol or name that works. It is the mind of the voter that works in an election,” he opined.
| 
