Former TPCC head Ponnala Lakshmaiah today took a jibe at Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao saying that the latter would "go down in history as the CM of by-elections".
He asked the CM why he had a habit of holding review meetings on the status of development programs in only those Assembly constituencies which were headed for elections.
The leader also wondered if the meetings were anything more than publicity stunts, and asked the CM, "Why hold review meetings for only those constituencies which have either recently witnessed by-elections or are going to witness them soon? If these meetings are anything more than publicity stunts, why hasn't the government held similar meetings to review the implementation of the double-bedroom scheme in Warangal district?"
Further, Lakshmaiah questioned KCR about why he had not organised a review meeting on the status of podu lands and alleged that the CM was but "putting on a show" by holding a review meeting ahead of the Huzurabad by-election.
The rant comes after KCR decided to hold a public meeting in Halia today during which he promised huge sops to the constituency, and to Nalgonda district as well.
This meeting assumes special significance as it is a public marker of the leader's commitment to keeping his word - although he had promised to visit Nagarjuna Sagar within a fortnight of its
April by-election, he was unable to do so due to the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic and the political turmoil that followed former minister Etala Rajender's dismissal from the Cabinet. And with the Huzurabad by-election just weeks away, the Opposition has been having a field day pointing out how KCR has "broken" the promise made to the people of Nagarjuna Sagar.
It has even been cautioning the residents of Huzurabad that their constituency too will receive the same treatment from the state government. The sudden visit, then, may have been a way to counter the criticisms of the Opposition.
Besides, the CM's active involvement in by-election campaigns has been raising eyebrows for some time now. He played a major role in the TRS' campaign ahead of the Nagarjuna by-election as well. Though he usually keeps away from by-election campaigns, he had addressed a massive rally in Halia in an effort to highlight the attributes of his party and its candidate, Nomula Bhagat.
At the meeting, the leader was seen promising the tribals of the region, a sizeable section of the population, that he would personally oversee the resolution of the podu land problems across the state by setting up Praja Darbars. He also said that the process would first be carried out in Nalgonda.