MLC Elections: Palla Rajeshwar Reddy Slams Opposition

Rythu Bandhu Samithi chief and MLC Palla Rajeshwar Reddy today condemned the BJP and the Congress' attempts to carry out misinformation campaigns against the ruling party in the run-up to the MLC elections in the graduates' constituencies of Warangal-Nalgonda-Khammam and Hyderabad-Mahabubnagar-Rangareddy, which are to be held on March 14.

Addressing a gathering as part of his campaign for the Warangal-Nalgonda-Khammam seat, along with Power Minister G Jagadish Reddy and other TRS leaders, he slammed the BJP for "spreading falsehoods" about the state government, and retorted by saying that no matter how hard the saffron party tried, the people of Telangana would not believe its lies.

"Our government is known for the success of its many welfare schemes and development programs. The Opposition's cheap attempts to gain support by slandering us will therefore come to naught. How can the leaders of the BJP and the Congress think that the people will believe their lies when our government has been nationally lauded for its commitment to welfare? We will win the MLC elections on the strength of our pro-people governance," Reddy asserted.

"It is strange to see the BJP leaders in the state accusing us of being anti-farmer, when their own party at the Centre has brought in three extremely unjust farm Acts. On the other hand, 60 lakh farmers in our state are benefitting from the Rythu Bandhu scheme. Our Aasara scheme has also benefited 43 lakh people. We have also successfully addressed the problems of water and power paucity in the state's rural pockets. However, the BJP-ruled states in India have had no such success," he charged.

Flaying the Opposition for continually attacking the TRS government's "failure" to generate jobs, the MLC said, "We have already initiated the process of establishing an IT hub in Nalgonda district. This will generate jobs and employment for the youth in the area. Further, a skill development centre will be started in Dandu Malkapur for the training and skilling of graduates, to equip them to secure good jobs. The Opposition should therefore stop levelling false accusations against us."

Echoing Rajeshwar Reddy's claims, Minister Jagadish Reddy also praised the TRS regime's welfare initiatives.

He accused the Centre of "dumping" Telangana, of denying developmental support to the state, and of not fulfilling the promises made to it in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act. He then appealed to the gathering to help Rajeshwar Reddy win the elections, promising them that the candidate would always place their interests above all else.

Rajeshwar Reddy, the incumbent MLC of the Warangal-Nalgonda-Khammam constituency, has been campaigning ceaselessly in a bid to retain his seat. However, it seems that he has a tough fight ahead of him - just yesterday, the MLC was greeted by an angry mob of students at the gates of the Kakatiya University when he tried to enter the premises to reportedly address a campaign meeting.

The mob of students foiled his plans. It gathered near the main entrance of the campus, refusing to make way for the leader. Many also raised slogans against him, expressing their unhappiness at his "neglect" of students' problems in his constituency.