No vote for BJP to oppose Modi's GST; KCR tells Munugode weavers

MUNUGODE: Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) on Sunday asserted that the victory of Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) in Munugode was a forgone conclusion and appealed to the electorate to elect Kusukuntla Prabhakar Reddy with highest majority. Addressing the 'Munugode Rana Bheri', the campaign public meeting of the TRS at Bangarigadda of Chandur mandal, he asked the families of the weavers community to ensure that not a single vote went to the BJP in the ensuing by-election.

"People here are telling me that the TRS had already won the Munugode election. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is out to destroy the lives of weavers by imposing five percent GST on handloom products. No government at the Centre and no Prime Minister has ever initiated such preposterous measures. They are coming to you again for votes after depriving you of your livelihood. Time for you to teach them a fitting lesson by ensuring no one from the weavers' families voted for them," KCR said.

In a veiled attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and his antics during his Bharat Jodo Yatra in Telangana, the Chief Minister remarked that some leaders were turning up in weird attires and even breaking into song and dance, just because there was a by-election.

Here are the highlights of KCR speech that was dotted with barbs against political opponents and passionate appeals to the voters:

* Some RSS middlemen have descended on Telangana and tried their hand at 'cattle trade tricks' to lure MLAs.

* Narendra Modi should break silence and justify how this dangerous, undemocratic trend will augur well for the country.

* Munugode voters should not keep watching this political muck with mere silence.

* People should think wisely and use their vote as a weapon to drive away unconstitutional elements to save the country.

* As per Central Electricity Authority of India website, only 2.1 lakh mega watts of electricity is generated in the country as against an optimum capacity of 4 lakh MW.

* Even after 75 years of Independence, no other state except Telangana provides 24-hour power supply.

* Country is being cheated in the garb of power sector reforms. Electricity meters are being imposed on us.

* The Modi regime sent a circular to states to make both agricultural and domestic consumers cough up Rs 30,000 to get these meters fixed or replaced.

* Don't fall for the bait of poll-time enticements. We, in Telangana, have suffered enough for 68 long years because of one short-sighted decision.

* You (people) are my family and fraternity and support and strength.

* People should be wary of backdoor attempts to capture power in Telangana and then ring in a regime of privatisation.

* About 50 percent of 1.4 lakh TMC water available in the country is going untapped into the sea.

* TRS is an eight-year-old entity. Why didn't the Congress and the BJP mitigate the water crisis of Munugode before that?

* The water crisis and fluoride menace became a thing of the past only with the efforts of the TRS government.

* Fluoride victim Amshala Swamy was laid on the table of Atal Behari Vajpayee when the latter was the Prime Minister. Still, they remained stone-hearted and did nothing to address the issue.

* The Munugode fluoride crisis was only used as an exhibit during the visits of foreign dignitaries.

* I spent time in Sivannagudem in the past and, moved by their plight, I penned the song 'sudu sudu Nallagonda gundela meeda fluoride banda…'

* Who is coming in the way of the Cherlagudem project? Why did Narendra Modi and the BJP put it in cold storage, even after eight years of being in power?

* I take the responsibility to provide irrigation water to every acre of land in Munugode.

* Elect Prabhakar Reddy, I will approve your request for a 100-bed hospital, creation of Chandur division and new roads, in 15 days.

* Do you need to vote again for BJP which is fostering a draconian regime of exorbitant prices, be it petrol, diesel or cooking gas?

* BRS will fight against the designs to promote privatisation which will only benefit corporate entities.

* No one will even dare to stop unique welfare schemes like Rythu Beema, Rythu Bandhu until I'm alive.

* Why can't Modi give agricultural power when he can dole out Rs 14 lakh crores to corporate biggies?

* Those who are causing commotion in Munugode will go without a trace after November 7.

* Only Kusukuntla Prabhakar Reddy will be in your midst, as the true man of the soil.

* Don't be swayed or carried away by the fictitious claims of the pseudos. Think wisely and cast your vote responsibly.