TPCC head and MP N Uttam Kumar Reddy today announced that former minister and ex-CLP leader K Jana Reddy would be the Congress candidate for the upcoming Nagarjuna Sagar by-election.
The TPCC president was speaking at the day-long Rythu Deeksha program organised by CLP leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka at the Dharna Chowk in Indira Park to support the ongoing farmers' agitation in Delhi.
"Jana Reddy, with his vast experience and political acumen, is sure to win the by-election with a thumping majority," Reddy said.
He added that the candidates for the MLC elections for two of the state's graduates' constituencies would be shortlisted in the next three to four days.
Supporting the deeksha, Reddy also demanded that the BJP-led union government withdraw the three contentious agriculture laws without further delay.
"Lakhs of farmers have been protesting against the new farm bills for the last 40-odd days. The farmers are continuing their protest despite the severe cold-wave that has gripped Delhi, demanding the withdrawal of the laws. However, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not considering the demands of the farmers even on humanitarian grounds," he said.
"The Centre's treatment of the country's farmers is nothing short of shameful. Not only has the Centre mortgaged the interest of the agrarian community to benefit a few big corporates like the Adanis and the Ambanis, it is now intentionally prolonging the resolution of the issue to break the spirits of the protestors and eventually crush the farmers' agitation so that it does not have to repeal the three Acts. That is why it has been refusing to provide a Constitutional guarantee promising the continuance of the MSP system despite having held nine rounds of discussions with the farmers' organisations," he alleged.
Addressing Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao's
"sudden U-turn" on the issue of the implementation of the farm Acts, the TPCC head accused the CM of having let down the farmers of the state by welcoming the contentious legislations.
"Initially, not only the CM but almost all the top leaders of the TRS had actively
extended their support to the Bharat Bandh called for by the protesting farmers, last December. However, as always, the CM then decided to support the BJP-led Centre, and announced his decision to implement the three anti-farmer laws in the state. He was even shameless enough to sanction the shutting down of the state's crop procurement centres. It is unfortunate that the CM does not realise that the three laws will leave the farmers vulnerable to extreme exploitation by a few corporates. The laws will force the farmers to sell their produce at whatever price is being offered to them," he said.
Reddy also accused the KCR government of pursuing an "anti-farmer" regulated farming system, and came down heavily on the CM for "coercing" the farmers in the state to adopt the program.
"First, the Chief Minister forced the farmers of the state to adopt his flawed regulated farming system. When the farmers then incurred huge losses after growing the superfine varieties of paddy upon his advise, he refused to even compensate them. Instead of being apologetic, he simply took a U-turn and silently withdrew the regulated farming scheme. He is an expert in changing his stand on all matters whenever it suits him," the TPCC head said.
He demanded that the government immediately repeal its decision to implement the farm Acts in the state, and procure all the crops of the farmers at the relevant MSPs.
The MP then vowed to continue to fight for the farmers till the laws were repealed both by the Centre and the state government.
He also again targeted both the governments for "pretending" to be rivals yet again, and said that the two were secretly allies, and that their relationship was best described by the phrase "Gali mein kushti aur Dilli mein dosti".
CLP leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, MLAs Sridhar Babu, Podem Veeraiah and Jagga Reddy, AICC Secretary G Chinna Reddy, AICC Kisan Congress Vice Chairman Kodanda Reddy, former TPCC heads V Hanumantha Rao and Ponnala Lakshmaiah, and former minister J Geeta Reddy also addressed the gathering, which was attended by thousands of farmers and Congress workers from across Telangana.