Hyderabad, May 31 (IANS) Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president K.T. Rama Rao (KTR) on Sunday challenged Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy to declare that he would contest future elections only after implementing the 420 promises and six guarantees made by the Congress party in the 2023 elections.
KTR alleged that the Chief Minister was once again attempting to mislead the people by declaring that he would not contest elections if electricity meters were installed on agricultural pump sets.
Speaking at a meeting of key party workers from the Cantonment constituency, KTR said instead of issuing such statements, Revanth Reddy should publicly announce that he would not seek votes unless all the promises made to the people of Telangana were fulfilled.
He questioned why the Congress government was avoiding accountability on key promises, including housing for the poor under the Indiramma Housing Scheme, implementation of welfare guarantees, and various commitments made during the Assembly elections.
KTR alleged that the proposed separate “Farmers’ DISCOM” was being created with the sole objective of eventually withdrawing the 24-hour free power supply being provided to farmers. He recalled that while in the opposition, Revanth Reddy had stated that three hours of electricity was sufficient for farmers and argued that the current proposal was aimed at translating that mindset into policy.
“The real intention behind the Farmers’ DISCOM is to dismantle the historic 24-hour free power supply introduced by KCR. The Congress government is trying to conceal its anti-farmer agenda while claiming that the initiative is intended to benefit farmers,” KTR said.
He stated that the Congress government was conspiring to weaken one of the most significant welfare measures introduced by former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao (KCR).
According to KTR, while publicly claiming commitment to free electricity, the government was pursuing policies that would ultimately deprive farmers of an uninterrupted power supply.
KTR remarked that Revanth Reddy’s concern for farmers was “as little as the amount of ghee in a ridge gourd.” He described the Farmers’ DISCOM as a noose around the neck of Telangana’s farming community and alleged that its ultimate objective was the complete withdrawal of free electricity for agriculture.
The BRS called upon not only farmers but also urban residents of Telangana to oppose what he described as a conspiracy against the agricultural sector. He said the people of Telangana had already realised that Revanth Reddy repeatedly failed to honour his commitments and that his latest statements regarding the Farmers’ DISCOM lacked credibility.
KTR urged the public to remember that the Congress government had failed to implement even a single major election promise and had deceived every section of society. He said farmers and citizens should remain vigilant against policies that could adversely affect their interests.
Recalling the power situation prior to the formation of Telangana, KTR said the Congress governments that ruled for six decades left the state plagued by severe power shortages and frequent outages. He noted that industries had been forced to declare power holidays, and farmers had suffered immensely due to inadequate electricity supply.
KTR credited KCR with transforming Telangana’s power sector within six months of assuming office and ensuring an uninterrupted 24-hour electricity supply across the state. He stated that KCR was the first leader in independent India’s history to provide 24-hour free electricity to the agricultural sector and accused the Congress government of attempting to erase that legacy.
KTR also criticised the Congress government for what he termed its failure to deliver meaningful development in Hyderabad over the last two-and-a-half years.
He reminded the gathering that during the Cantonment by-election campaign, ministers, including Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy, had promised to provide 6,000 houses in the constituency. However, despite two-and-a-half years in office, the government had not delivered even a single house to the people of Cantonment or Hyderabad, he alleged.
–IANS
ms/uk