KCR foresees role for BRS in coalition Govt at centre after elections, recalls NTR’s Rs 2-kg rice scheme in Khammam

KHAMMAM: Predicting that the BJP will not be able to cross the 200-seat mark in the ensuing Lok Sabha election contrary to the saffron party’s expectations, BRS chief K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) said that the BRS with its 12-15 seats will play a crucial role in the formation of a coalition Government at the Centre.

Addressing a street corner meeting at Ambedkdar crossroads here on Monday, KCR said that the BJP would not return to power and its exaggerated hopes would be dashed in the elections. “If we win a considerable number and if Khammam elects Nama Nageswara Rao as its MP, he will certainly find a berth in the union cabinet,” KCR said.

He said that the presence of a BRS Minister at the Central level would be an added advantage to air Telangana’s voice in New Delhi. “Telangana produced 3.5 crore tonnes of paddy when I was in power. But the centre was not ready to purchase our paddy. We organised a protest in New Delhi,” he said.

He also urged the voters of Telangana to support the BRS as it was the only party that could move heaven and earth to stop Prime Minister Narendra Modi from diverting Godavari water from Ichampalli to Karnataka. “When I was the Chief Minister I vehemently opposed the proposal and stopped it. Why are Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and Union Minister Kishan Reddy making no efforts to stop the dangerous move that could drastically affect Telangana,” KCR said.

He reiterated that the only hope for Telangana was Godavari and the 37 TMC Seetharama project that the BRS Government had built would provide irrigation to every acre of Khammam district.

He recalled that during his tenure he ensured that water was released even when the levels in Nagarjuna Sagar hit 495 feet. “These days under the Congress, at 510 feet the crops are dried in Nelakondapalli. What happened to Bhaktaramadasu and Paleru,” KCR pointed out.

NTR ushered true welfare

Recalling the former Chief Minister and founder of the TDP, NT Rama Rao, the BRS chief said that NTR with the introduction of the Rs 2-kg rice scheme brought a paradigm shift in welfare. “He also introduced Pacca houses, Janata cloths, and the abolition of land tax. We did more after Telangana was formed and introduced a plethora of schemes like Rytu Bharosa, Rytu Bima, Kalyana Lakshmi, and so on,” KCR said adding that the Revanth Reddy’s Government cheated the people and came to power.

No water in the OU

KCR deplored the closure of Osmania University for want of drinking water. “After I took to X and highlighted the issue, the Deputy CM who is from Khammam, admonished the Chief Warden. What kind of governance is this,” the former CM observed.