Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has said that he would play an important role in any front that is likely to be formed to fight against the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) in the next elections.
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“The nature of the front or the name is not important but I will play a role in the fight against the BJP that has ruined the country,” Mr. Rao said at a press conference here. More than politics, he said, he was interested in framing a development policy and put it up for discussion in front of the country.
On alliances with other parties in his desire to defeat the BJP, Mr. Rao said his agenda was to trigger the change involving people and the political parties will have to follow. “It happened in Telangana where the peaceful people’s agenda had to be followed by all the political parties,” he said adding he expects to create a similar debate in the country. “West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has called me and I will soon call on Maharashtrsa Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray as a part of the formation of the anti-BJP alliance,” he added.
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Mr. Rao agreed that he had mooted a similar front against the BJP in the 2019 elections but it did not take the desired shape for various reasons. But the time is ripe now for change in the country as the BJP’s support base was fast waning.
The Telangana Chief Minister did not mince words while alleging that the BJP government at the Centre was the most corrupt. He said that the Rafale deal was an example of huge corruption and asked the government to explain how India paid US$ 9.74 billion for 36 jets while Indonesia could buy 42 Rafale jets for US$ 8 billion only. “We will go to the Supreme Court and stop the country’s loot,” he said.
Accusing Mr. Modi of being totally undemocratic, he said the governments in Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Goa were toppled against people’s mandate. Recalling how Mr. Modi termed the Congress as ‘Urban Naxals’, he said anyone questioning the BJP are abused as urban naxals or anti-nationals. “Is that what we expect from a Prime Minister.”
Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao said he would continue to raise the issue of unwarranted and indecent comments against Congress MP Rahul Gandhi by the Assam Chief Minister. You can be harsh in your comments but not indecent and that too against a person who comes from a family that has been in politics since Independence. “Jawaharlal Nehru went to jail during the Freedom Struggle while Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi were killed while being in public service,” he reminded.
KCR also took a dig at the foreign policy of the Prime Minister and said India’s image has taken a beating with his acts. He ridiculed the “Howdy Modi” programme in the USA before US Presidential election and asked if Mr. Modi thought it was a municipal election of Ahmedabad. “Is that how Indian Prime Minister interferes in US elections compromising the foreign policy of the country,” he asked.