Hyderabad: A day after the dissolution of the state assembly Telangana Rashtra Samiti President and caretaker Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao kicked off his party’s election campaign with first meeting in Husnabad even as the opposition parties were fraying to catch up with him.
KCR who has a fad for astrology, Vastu and numerology and goes strictly by the advise of pundits chose Husnabad in Siddipet district for sentimental reasons as he had launched his successful 2014 campaign from the same place.
Earlier he worshipped at a temple in his own constituency Gajwel.
Addressing the “people’s blessings meeting”, KCR sought the support from the people for a second term to ensure continued development of the state.
“Congress is responsible for our decision to go to polls ahead of schedule. Congress leaders levelled baseless allegations which endangered the stability and development of the state and there was a threat of officials getting demoralised,” he said.
Recounting the work of his government over the last four years including faster economic development and 24 hours free power supply to farmers he said, “the results of our efforts, development and welfare schemes are before your eyes”, he told the voters.
“As Congress leaders are unable to see the development in the state they should get their eyes tested and tested”, KCR said.
Meanwhile other parties have also stated chalking out the plans for their campaign.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and Telugu Desam national president N Chandrababu Naidu will arrive in Hyderabad on Saturday to review the preparations by the Telangana unit. His visit assumes significance in view of speculations that TDP may reach an electoral understanding with the Congress party
BJP national president Amit Shah will visit the state on September 15 and was expected to kick off his party’s campaign from Mahbubnagar.
Congress leader and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi was expected to visit on September 16 and assess meetings in Karimnagar and Nizamabad.
Will Election Commission agree to KCR’s wish of elections in November
With KCR virtually announcing the election dates for the state assembly, the opposition parties were up in arms and the Election Commission of India has also expressed its displeasure.
Soon after the Telangana Legislative Assembly was adjourned on Thursday afternoon to pave way for early polls, KCR expressed confidence that the election in Telangana would be held in October along with four other states and results will come out in December first week.
While the main opposition Congress party alleged that there was a nexus between TRS and the CEC, Communist Party of India delegation led by national general secretary Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy met the Chief Election Commissioner OP Rawat and lodged protest against KCR’s statement.
KCR had also said that all the aspects were discussed with the ECI officers before decision to dissolve the assembly was taken.
CEC Rawat has also expressed his displeasure and termed KCR’s statement as “preposterous and uncalled for”. He also told the media that nothing can be said on whether the elections to Telangana Assembly will be held along with the four other states.
The questions has come up because the Telangana assembly was dissolved even though 8 months of its present term were remaining. Timing of the polls has become crucial because an early election was being seen as advantageous to the state’s ruling Telangana Rashtra Samiti.
The speed with which the state governor ESL Narasimhan accepted the recommendation of the cabinet and the way all the legal and administrative formalities were completed to issue a notification of the dissolution by the Legislature Secretariat has also raised many an eyebrows.
State Chief Electoral Officer Rajath Kumar was summoned by the Election Commission to Delhi to discuss the preparations for election including the status of ongoing revision of electoral rolls.
Telangana Congress president N Uttam Kumar Reddy alleged that there seems to be a match fixing between the TRS and the Election Commission. Referring to the claims of KCR that he was talking to the Election Commission, Reddy questioned its propriety before the dissolution of assembly. “What they were talking”, he asked.
Pointing out that as per the schedule the electoral rolls revision should continue till January Reddy asked how election can be possible before that.
CPI general secretary S Sudhakar Reddy after meeting CEC in New Delhi today said that only Election Commission can announce the schedule of the election. “How Chandrashekhar Rao can say when the elections would be held. We have conveyed our strong objection over it”.
Telangana Jana Samiti president Kodandaram demanded that the state should be put under president’s rule as there were fears that election under KCR as caretaker Chief Minister will not be fair.
State BJP leaders including floor leader G Kishan Reddy met the governor Narasimhan and urged him to keep an eye on KCR and ensure that he doesn’t misuse his power.
