Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday claimed Telangana is being ‘remote controlled’ by Prime Minister Narendra Modi because of the corrupt rule of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) and the Telangana Rastra Samithi (TRS) government.

Launching a frontal attack on KCR and odi, Rahul said the Praja Front will defeat the TRS in Telangana in the December 7 polls, and then the Congress with friendly parties will oust Modi from power in 2019. He charged the NDA government of spreading distrust among sections of people and destroying democratic institutions.

Last leg of campaign

In his last leg of election rallies in the State — at Tandur, Gadwal and Jubilee Hills in Hyderabad — Rahul upped the ante against KCR and the TRS. “Because of your corruption, you are not able to stand confidently before Modi. Therefore you have turned into Modi’s Team B,” he said.

“It is KCR’s ambition to make Modi the Prime Minister in 2019 and to continue as the CM of Telangana after the December 7 elections,” he added. That explained the TRS’ understanding with the BJP along with an electoral alliance with the AIMIM, he said.

He cited the instances of demonetisation, GST, and Presidential and Vice-President elections, when KCR openly extended help to the NDA government.

The TRS and AIMIM, with the BJP’s support, are now standing in opposition to the Praja Front (the Congress, the TDP, CPI and TJS). Rahul claimed that the AIMIM had opposed Congress candidates in Maharashtra and Assam when it was fighting the BJP, which clearly showed that the two were in collusion.

Rahul further said the KCR government had failed to deliver the promises of “ neellu  (water), nidhulu  (funds) and niyamakalu  (jobs). “We hoped that the people’s aspiration will be fulfilled on these three important aspects when Sonia Gandhi decided to form Telangana. But it’s clear that the people are dissatisfied,” he said.

“The TRS government is steeped in corruption and dictatorial rule of the KCR family. The CM’s main pastime in irrigation projects was to just to redesign the Congress’ plans. The difference was in cost escalation and commissions. From ₹10,000 crore, the cost of one project has ballooned to ₹60,000 crore. Hence, KCR is now Khao Commission Rao,” he added.

“The State, which enjoyed a surplus of ₹17,000 crore during inception in 2014, is now in huge public debt and each family in Telangana carries a burden of ₹2.5 lakh. In contrast, KCR’s son’s (KT Rama Rao) declared his income has gone up by 400 per cent,” he said. 

“In several election rallies, KCR said he wants to rest. Yes, he is taking rest in a ₹300-crore luxury home. But the government has failed to deliver the promised two-bedroom homes to 22 lakh people and 3 acre land to Dalits,” Rahul said.

More promises

Rahul Gandhi announced a slew of promises in addition to the one-time farm-loan waiver of ₹2 lakh to each farmer. It includes better minimum support price for turmeric and cotton. The party also said it will give ₹5 lakh to eligible people to build homes and protect the interests of Dalits and Adivasis. Alleging that the TRS has completely neglected women, Rahul said the Congress will create a ₹500-crore fund to help small women entrepreneurs, provide ₹10-lakh interest-free loans to women to set up enterprises.

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