Injecting political heat into the poll campaign in his native Mahabubnagar district, Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy warned Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) chief K. Chandrashekhar Rao not to try to poach the Congress MLAs or else he would be burnt like a crow coming into contact with a high tension wire.
Charging the BRS chief with continuing his habit of poaching Congress MLAs, the Chief Minister said any such attempt would leave the BRS in bad shape. “Forget the old habit or else you have to bear the consequences. I am Revanth Reddy,” he said. These comments came in the backdrop of KCR claiming that 20 Congress MLAs were in touch with him.
The Chief Minister, who was in Mahabubnagar to participate in filing of nomination papers of Congress candidate Vamshichand Reddy on Friday, accused KCR of ignoring the irrigation projects in Mahabubnagar district in the last 10 years.
Mr. Reddy said the BRS failed to complete the lifelines of the backward Mahbubnagar district — Palamuru Rangareddy Lift Irrigation (PLRI), Kalwakurthy Lift irrigation and other pending projects. He challenged the BRS to name one project or industry that came into being in Mahabubnagar in the last 10 years.
Targets KTR
Responding to BRS working president KT Rama Rao’s claims that the car (BRS party symbol) was getting serviced in the garage and would come back soon, Mr. Reddy ridiculed saying that the car’s engine had become obsolete and was worth selling in scrap.
Sitting BRS MP Manne Srinivas Reddy has not asked a single question in Parliament on Mahabubnagar projects, Mr. Reddy pointed out and said there was no use voting for him. Similarly, BJP candidate D. K. Aruna did not even try for national project status to the PRLI project. “She cannot contribute to Mahabubnagar,” he charged.
Raking up the ‘local boy’ sentiment, he said no one would have a heart for the district like him as he had grown from the ranks here to become the Chief Minister. He said only the Congress can fight for SC categorisation and he would personally take up the responsibility of providing best legal help for achieving it.
Later, he also participated in a road show at Mahbubabad where Congress candidate Balaram Naik filed his nomination papers.