UNPRECEDENTED VICTORY OF TRS IN WARANGAL IS RATIFICATION OF KCR YEAR AND HALF GOOD GOVERNANCE : Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao

UNPRECEDENTED VICTORY OF TRS IN WARANGAL

IS RATIFICATION OF KCR YEAR AND HALF GOOD GOVERNANCE

Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao

            Speaking to media after the results of Warangal Lok Sabha by-election results in which TRS candidate Pasunuri Dayakar registered a record breaking victory with a margin of about 4.60 Lakhs of votes, Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao said that, “The outcome of Warangal by poll is unprecedented. The intolerant attitude of the opposition is not good. This thumping victory will not make us arrogant. We will work for the welfare of the people with more dedication”. In the contest to win Warangal Lok Sabha seat, the heartland of Telangana, despite all out efforts by opposition, it was a resounding victory for Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, once again reaffirming the confidence of the people. TRS party candidate trounced his opponents from the Congress and TDP-BJP combine and in the process the result became the seventh biggest victory margin in the history of elections in India and highest in Telangana so far.

            Break up of votes are: Pasunuri Dayakar (TRS) 6,15,403; Sarve Satyanarayana (Cong) 1,56,311; P Devaiah (BJP-TDP) 1,30,178 and rest got about 70, 000 votes. In the 2014 election, Kadiyam Srihari then the TRS candidate won the seat with a margin of over 3.92 Lakh votes and now Dayakar bettered the margin and made the TRS proud. The victory came at a time when the opposition parties were cornering the state government over farmers’ suicides but all controversies turned non-issues as the by-election proved that the popularity of TRS is intact. Though all political parties were sure about the victory of TRS, no one barring TRS in general and CM KCR in particular expected such a landslide victory. All opposition parties were in for a rude shock with such a huge victory margin. All the other candidates also lost the deposit.

Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao who is also TRS Party President assigned the responsibility of campaign to one minister for every assembly segment who commands hold there by virtue of their long association in the area one way or other. This really helped for a big success apart from TRS highlighting the past and present failures of the opposition parties. These lead campaigners focused on issues that directly impact the people. Be it uninterrupted power supply, double bedroom houses, welfare measures, flagship programs like Water Grid, Mission Kakatiya or others, they could manage to take right message to the voter. All these topics of discussions were chalked out by KCR himself and detailed to the campaigners. After the victory, KCR minced no words on his future course of action. He declared that he would go ahead with his pet projects, whatever opposition he faces. He said that “the opposition protested my decision to shift the Secretariat, to clean the Hussainsagar Lake, to construct Kalabharathi, the design of Water Grid, Mission Kakatiya and to redesign the irrigation projects. But, I got the people’s support for them through this victory,” he said hinting that he would not budge.

The New Indian Express an English Daily published from Hyderabad under the heading “Chanakya Chandrashekhar” on the following day of TRS victory in the election wrote that, if emperor Chandragupta Mourya had a master strategist in the form of Chanakya to guide him through difficult times, the ruling TRS has a Chanakya and Chandragupta in a single man and he is none other than Kalvakuntla Chandrashekhar Rao. The master strategist in KCR turned the tide in his party’s favor, trouncing the opposition in the war for Warangal says the news item. All the efforts of the opposition to give a tough fight failed before KCR’s strategies. The Congress roped in national leaders including former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, former union ministers Sushil Kumar Shinde and Sachin Pilot but failed to make an impact. The BJP too brought a couple of Union ministers including Bandaru Dattatreya to campaign but it could not save the party from slipping to the third place.

CM termed the victory of TRS in Warangal as a stamp of approval from the people of Telangana for his governance. Encouraged by the overwhelming victory, TRS leaders thundered that the same result will be repeated in the forthcoming Narayankhed assembly seat by election and Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) elections. Chief Minister declared in the media meet that the TRS will win over 80 seats in GHMC elections.

Speaking to media in Telangana Bhavan, the TRS party headquarters in Hyderabad CM announced his Road Map for state’s development and at the same time he has advised opposition parties to change their “intolerant” attitude at least after the “unprecedented” victory of the TRS in the Warangal Lok Sabha by election.

 CM said that “Now, the responsibility of the government has increased manifold. We will not develop arrogant attitude but work for the welfare of the people with more responsibility.” Recalling the burning of his effigies by opposition party workers just within five days of his assuming charge as Chief Minister, he advised the opposition parties: “People supported the development and welfare programmes of the government. The intolerant attitude of the opposition is not good.” Continuing his remarks CM said that the opposition spread canards on farm loan waiver and other issues. “The hasty and intolerant attitude of the opposition should change. People rejected the opposition parties which lied to the people against the government,” he said and announced a road map for development and new schemes. Here is what he said:

·        “Now, I have three major works to complete. Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation elections and Narayankhed Assembly by poll and presenting the annual Budget. After that I will embark upon the district tours. The TRS will win 80 seats in the GHMC on its own.”

·        “I am busy preparing plans for the last 17 months and could not meet ordinary workers. The planning is over. Now, I will tour districts and stay there for six to eight days. I will organize Bus Yatras to district, interact frequently with workers. Ministers too will undertake Bus Yatras. I will stay near the ongoing irrigation projects and see that they are completed on time.”

·        “The reengineering and redesigning of irrigation projects has been completed. Construction of all the irrigation projects will be completed by 2020-2021. Even the distribution network will be completed in the next four years. One Crore acres of land will be provided irrigation water.”

·        “The District Selection Committee (DSC) examination to recruit around 15,000 to 20,000 teachers for government schools will be conducted very soon. Around 1,500 DSC-98 qualified teachers will also be provided jobs. The contract employees will be regularized in the next couple of months’ time.”

·        “This year the government will construct 60,000 two-bedroom houses. From next year the number will be one Lakh. I spoke with Union urban development minister M Venkaiah Naidu and will see to it that a huge number of houses are sanctioned also for Telangana as sanctioned for AP. Under the central government’s scheme, all government and private employees whose annual income is less than Rs 6 Lakh will be provided a double bedroom house. The Centre will give a subsidy of Rs 2 Lakh on each house. For construction of the double bedroom houses, ministers and MLAs will select villages. The beneficiaries in the villages will be selected by the respective district collectors and there will be no involvement of politicians.”

·        “We will complete the Water Grid programme before the next elections (2019). I reiterate that if the government fails to complete the scheme, the TRS will not seek votes. Taps will be fixed inside the houses at government’s cost.”

·        “The Kalyana Laxmi scheme, to give Rs 51,000 for performing the marriage of girls, will be extended to all the eligible poor in BCs and OCs from March.”

·        “In order to enable the ministers to sanction money for immediate works, a Special Development Fund (SDF) of Rs 25 Crores each to all ministers will be provided in the annual budget from next year.”

·        “Telangana will become power surplus by 2018. Farmers will be provided nine hours of uninterrupted power for agricultural operations from the next Kharif season.”

Referring to the Ayuta Maha Chandi Yaagam which he planned to perform from December 23, 2015 for four days, CM refuted opposition unhealthy criticism that he would be using government money. CM said that “The Yagam will be performed with my money and with the help of donors. Government money will not be used for it. I had vowed to conduct the Yagam if Telangana state was formed. The Yagam will cost Rs. 2 to Rs. 3 Crores. Cost is not the criterion. Around 4,000 Vedic pundits and 1,500 Ritwiks will be needed for the ritual. They are being brought from three or four other states.” CM also hinted at inviting AP CM Chandrababu Naidu and President of India besides some Governors.

It may be recalled that when by-elections were held for Medak Lok Sabha seat in September 2014 TRS candidate Kotha Prabhakar Reddy trounced his nearest Congress rival by a margin of 3,61,277 votes. Thus the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) continued its sway over the Medak parliamentary constituency. Then also the BJP-TDP combine candidate came a poor third. Then the by-poll was necessitated following resignation of CM as he had won the Assembly election from Gajwel assembly segment as well as Medak LS seat. Then the developmental and welfare schemes were in formative and conceptual stage and people believed that they would take shape and would be implemented. Congress and the BJP-TDP candidates made a vain bid to target the TRS Government's 100 days in office and exposing its failure to fulfill one single poll promise. However, the voters continued their loyalty towards the TRS, which was still seen as the party that had achieved Telangana for them and would achieve Bangaru Telangana in future.

Later in the MLC elections held in June 2015 TRS won five seats while Congress secured one seat to fill six vacancies in state Legislative Council. TRS nominees Kadiyam Srihari, Tummala Nageswar Rao, B Venkateswarlu, N Vidyasagar and K Yadav Reddy emerged victorious in the election, besides Akula Lalitha of Congress. However, Vem Narender Reddy of TDP-BJP combine lost the election. In addition TRS candidate Palla Rajeswara Reddy won the Graduates’ constituency seat from Warangal-Khammam constituency.

Peoples’ faith in CM KCR and his party is time and again proved.

25-11-2015

 (Source KCR Press Meet and The New Indian Express Coverage)