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Journalism of Courage
Buoyed by its resounding victory in the Karnataka Assembly elections, the Congress has now stepped up its preparations for the Assembly elections in neighbouring Telangana, which is slated for December this year. Pushed to the margins of Telangana politics by the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), led by Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao or KCR, the Congress now seems to be sensing an opportunity to make a comeback in the state, with a slew of disgruntled BRS leaders joining the grand old party. In an interview with The Indian Express, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) in charge of Telangana, Manikrao Thakre, says that the party will also give guarantees in Telangana but “only those guarantees after thinking through, which we can deliver 100%”. Excerpts:
It was a high-level meeting chaired by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and attended by Rahul Gandhi, K C Venugopal. I was there as the in- charge and we had invited the PCC president (A Revanth Reddy), and 22 senior leaders from the state. The meeting was to plan the strategy for the forthcoming Assembly elections. All of them gave their views in a free and frank manner. They all spoke about what we should do, what our strengths and deficiencies are. We have told them we will meet from time to time.
See, every party brings out manifesto for the election. We had promised certain guarantees in HP and Karnataka and we had implemented those guarantees after coming to power in those states. So the people have trust and faith in the Congress. So it is very useful for us. We have to think it through and study hard, factoring in the revenue of the state and how we can give those guarantees. We have to keep in mind the reality and then make those promises to the people that we are going to do these things for you. Our leaders have said we should not promise anything which we cannot deliver. We should deliver on the promises that we make.
We have told the state leaders to come up with ideas. We are working on it. We are not going to say anything or declare anything in a hasty manner. The point is we should promise what we can deliver. We have to think it through. We have to fight many elections. Jo 100 per cent kar sakte hai wahi guarantee denge. (We will only give those guarantees which we can deliver 100 per cent). We have to fight many elections. An impression cannot go that we have promised something in elections and could not implement it after coming to power.
The Congress did not announce a Chief Ministerial candidate even in a state like Karnataka where we had many powerful leaders. We said once the MLAs are elected, the high command will talk to them and decide on the Chief Minister. We are not planning anything keeping any person in mind.
It is very clear to everyone that the BRS – and earlier TRS – is in cahoots with the BJP. Remember, Mamata Banerjee had convened a meeting of like- minded Opposition parties after winning the West Bengal elections. The BRS had not participated in that meeting despite being given an invitation. In Parliament, the BRS has always sided with the Government. In Telangana, there is so much talk about corruption…in various projects…corruption has breached all limits. In Maharashtra, there is not a single village left where the BRS has not put up its posters. They are opening offices. Where is this money coming from? But the ED or the CBI are not taking any action. In the Delhi liquor scam, Delhi’s former Deputy Chief Minister (Manish Sisodia) was arrested, but Kavithaji (KCR’s daughter) is being given relief, why is it being done? KCR says he has good relations with Modiji and they keep meeting. Even last week, when the Opposition parties were meeting in Patna, the same day KCR’s son K T Rama Rao was in Delhi meeting senior BJP leaders …party-level leaders. What signal has KTR’s meetings given? So they are hand in glove with each other. So it is not wrong to say BRS is the “B team” of the BJP. Everything is crystal clear. Nobody is going to trust them anymore. It is clear that when there will be unity of the Opposition parties in the coming days, they will help the BJP. People are intelligent. They are seeing all these things. What have they done in 10 years? They have done nothing for Telangana. Hyderabad resembles a 100 year-old-city barring a Metro.
There is no possibility of an alliance. The people have also understood…in ten years you have not said anything….now they are saying nothing has happened in 10 years…but you were together all these years. How can we have an alliance with the AIMIM? There is no clarity on the AIMIM’s stand…that they are not fighting elections in various states to cut Congress votes and help the BJP. Till it is not clear there will be suspicions about their intent.
I took over as in-charge six months ago. I don’t want to talk about what happened before that. But in the last six months the meetings that I have convened have seen the participation of all the leaders. They are all cooperating with me. There is no statement in the media, no press conference..that means it is clear. Look at other parties…you know the problems in the BJP and the BRS… people are leaving BRS and making statements. On the other hand, people like Uttam Kumar Reddy, Revanth Reddy, Damodar Narasimha, Komatireddy Venkat Reddy are all working together in Congress. That is why people now believe the Congress is in a position to come to power. The unity in our party has started worrying the BRS…that is why they are now going to other states and spending money. Congress is going to be the number one party. Many more will join us in the coming days.
See, it is clear. If you are hand in glove with the BJP…how can we come together? It is not about us saying we will not allow it and all… If they are trying to damage our ideology, how can we say we will walk hand in hand.
