TRS working president and IT and Industries Minister K T Rama Rao today asked his party's MLAs, MLCs and MPs to devote themselves to ensuring the victory of the TRS in the upcoming MLC elections in the Hyderabad-Rangareddy-Mahabubnagar graduates' constituency.
Speaking at a party meeting at the TRS Bhavan, Rao instructed the leaders and cadre to carry out a comprehensive and convincing campaign, and spread awareness about the welfare programs initiated by the KCR government.
"We must campaign well in order to debunk the lies that the leaders of the BJP are spreading about us, and must ensure that the graduates in the Hyderabad-Rangareddy-Mahabubnagar constituency realise that only the TRS candidate will push for the development of the area," he said.
The minister also appealed to the graduate voters themselves to support the candidate being fielded by the TRS, daughter of former PM P V Narasimha Rao Surabhi Vani Devi, citing her qualifications and experience as an academician and an educationist.
"She is humble, polite and service-oriented. Even when her father, late P V Narasimha Rao was Prime Minister, she never sought any extra advantages," KTR added.
He then assailed the incumbent MLC, BJP's N Ramachander Rao, for re-contesting for the seat even after "failing" to develop the constituency during his tenure.
The TRS second-in-command also attacked the other leaders of the BJP and accused them of being unable to get funds for Telangana, of ignoring the welfare of the state's lawyers, and of stirring up communal troubles.
"The BJP has no right to seek the votes of Telangana's people for the upcoming elections as it has failed to do anything for the state. All it has done is to level false charges against our government even after witnessing the rapid development that we have been able to bring about," KTR said.
"The baseless lies being spread by the BJP's leaders, however, can be easily disproved - no other state in the country provides the kind of comprehensive welfare that we do. We had allotted Rs 100 crore for the welfare of the state's lawyers, and given government jobs to 1.32 lakh people in the last six years. The BJP leaders in the state, on the other hand, could not even manage to secure funds for the people. This, despite the fact that their party is in power at the Centre," he added.
Winning the Hyderabad-Rangareddy-Mahabubnagar MLC seat seems to have become a prestige issue for the TRS, especially since it has eluded the party in three elections - in 2007, 2009 and 2015.
Many have lashed out at the ruling party for trying to capitalise on former PM Narasimha Rao's legacy by fielding his daughter, Surabhi Vani Devi, from the seat. The former PM's grandson, BJP leader N V Subash, also expressed his displeasure at the decision, and even accused the TRS of trying to
"appropriate" his grandfather's legacy.