CM KCR sounds poll bugle in Maharashtra; BRS to contest local body polls
CM KCR dared the BJP-Shiva Sena combine to implement the Telangana model of development for farmers and for the Dalit community as well
Updated On - 26 March 2023, 07:02 PM
Nanded: Setting the tone for the Bharat Rashtra Samithi’s foray into Maharashtra politics, Party President and Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao dared the BJP-Shiva Sena combine to implement the Telangana model of development for farmers and for the Dalit community as well.
Announcing that the BRS, which was now registered with the State Election Commission, would contest from every seat in the forthcoming local body elections in the neighbouring State, he called upon farmers and the BRS cadre to show their strength in the Panchayat Raj and Zilla Parishad elections, following which not just the State government but even the union government would come running to their doorsteps to solve their problems.
Calling upon a massive gathering at Kandhar Loha in Nanded district of Maharashtra to set aside ‘jativad’ (caste) and ‘dharmvad’ (religion) and to uphold ‘kisanvad’ (farmer’s welfare), the Chief Minister said the first meeting itself of the BRS at Nanded’s Bhokar on February 5 had jolted the Maharashtra government into action, which then hastened to announce an input subsidy of Rs.6,000 per acre to farmers.
“This is the power of the pink flag,” he said, stating the input subsidy should be increased to Rs.10,000 per acre as was being given in Telangana.
“Why was this assistance not announced earlier? The BJP government is taking farmers for granted and that’s why the BRS coined the slogan ‘Ab ki Baar Kisan Sarkar’, he said.
Recalling a question from Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on what business Chandrashekhar Rao had in Maharashtra when he should be taking care of Telangana’s affairs, the Chief Minister said he was a citizen of India, and as such, had work in every State of the country.
He further threw down the gauntlet at Fadnavis, challenging his government to implement Telangana’s 24 hours free power and water supply to the farmers, financial assistance of Rs.10,000 per acre and insurance coverage of Rs.5 lakh apart from procuring the entire yield from farmers.
He also pointed out that each Dalit household in Telangana was being given an assistance of Rs.10 lakh under Dalit Bandhu, and told Fadnavis that he would not have to visit Maharashtra again if the BJP-Shiv Sena government implemented all these schemes.
In the 75 years after Independence, Congress ruled the nation for 54 years and BJP for 16 years, but nothing had changed. There was no difference to be seen or felt.
Parties and politicians had benefited, but neither the public nor the farmer had got anything, he said, stressing that this was not a political meeting but a brainstorming session to understand what was wrong and where.
Reiterating that there was no optimum utilization of India’s abundant natural resources, with nearly 50,000 TMC of water flowing into Bay of Bengal every year, he said the country had 361 billion tonnes of coal reserves with which 24 hours quality power could be supplied for 125 years.
Yet, the farmer was not getting sufficient water or power for agriculture. Farmers were not demanding gold or moon but only water and power, he said, pointing out that even to get good prices for onions and sugarcane, farmers were forced to protests on the roads.
In New Delhi, farmers had fought for 13 months with 750 of them sacrificing their lives. Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not utter a word then, but when the Uttar Pradesh and Punjab elections came, he apologized to the farmers.
“The core issues were forgotten. Whenever there is unity and a united fight is put up, sops are showered to distract our attention. We should not fall for such political gimmicks,” Chandrashekhar Rao told the farmers, asserting that the country did not have to beg before the United States or Russia for water.
“Fight with me and I promise that water will be supplied to every acre,” he said.
Recalling that Telangana was much backward than Maharashtra eight years ago, he said the youngest State in the country had transformed into one of the leading contributors to the nation’s economy.
“If Telangana can transform, why can’t Maharashtra, especially when it is financially sound?” he asked.
Impressed with Telangana’s model of welfare and development, nearly 80 villages on the bordering areas of Maharashtra had passed resolutions demanding implementation of Telangana schemes or merger with the State, he said, adding that worried over this, the Maharashtra government had invited sarpanches from these villages for a meeting to resolve their issues. That is our strength, he said.