In an exclusive interview to MyNation Telangana deputy chief minister Mahmood Ali heaped praise on TRS Chief K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) comparing him to Jayaprakash Narayan. He said KCR is likely to play a pivotal role at Centre to form a non-Congress and non-BJP Government. He also lashed out at DMK's decision to announce Rahul Gandhi as the Prime Ministerial candidate and said KCR's son KT Rama Rao is more intelligent than Rahul.
Bengaluru: Telangana deputy chief minister Mahmood Ali feels Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) president and chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) will play a pivotal role in forming a non-Congress, non-BJP government at the Centre.
Speaking exclusively to MyNation, Ali said, "KCR is like Jayaprakash Narayan who steamrolled Congress's powerful leader Indira Gandhi in 1977 through his JP movement and formed Janata Party government at Centre. Similarly, KCR will lead the movement and play a crucial role."
As south India's political parties DMK of Tamil Nadu, CPI(M) of Kerala, TDP of Andhra Pradesh and JD(S) from Karnataka openly extended support to Rahul Gandhi as Prime Minister candidate especially after the results of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, Ali expressed his doubt on Rahul’s capability.
"KT Rama Rao, KCR's son is better and more intelligent than Rahul Gandhi. Dono mein se KTR acha jawab denge. KTR ke knowledge Rahul se achchi hai'. If a debate is held between Rahul and KTR, the latter will speak sense."
When asked about the factors that led to landslide victory of TRS, Ali credited effective law and order, bringing Kaleshwaram irrigation project and 'Raitha, Bandhu' a scheme to help farmers by giving Rs 10,000 as assistance on two crops helped them defeat Mahakootami lead by the Congress.
"Before 2014, under the Congress regime when Telangana was in AP, there was a curfew most of the time. After formation that has not happened. Hindu-Muslims do not clash. There is 50% reduction in new jail inmates at prisons from 2014. Kalashwaram Irrigation project, lifting water from River Godavari is on its way, it will benefit 40 lakh residents. And loan assistance to farmers under Raitha Bandhu is helping farmers," Ali stressed.
On the skills that put KCR on national platform, Ali pointed out that the reading habits of KCR from the age of 12 and his fluency in Urdu helped to connect with 60 lakhs minorities in Telangana and AP.
"KCR is the only leader in India at present who has completed reading 50,000 books from all the genres. Even if 20 IAS officers assemble together to take on KCR, he can take on them with intellectual capability. It is this confidence that made him go before the public in advance and concentrate on MP elections," he added.
On asked whether TRS will contest in AP, Ali said that Telangana will always play a younger brothers role in giving respect to AP and support a regional party to take on the national party.
"AP and Telangana together have 42 MPs and we do not want a Delhi-based high command to control us. We will support a regional party and will not contest in AP," Ali said.
On TRS’s equation with neighbouring states, Ali said that AP will always be closer to heart as the party and the people of Telangana see AP as their 'big brother'.
"Maharashtra chief minister is good with us as we initiated the Kaleshwaram project and told Maharashtra to get the first share and then divert to Telangana. A huge quantity of water was untapped and it was reaching the sea. And Karnataka is always special as the JD(S) leader HD Deve Gowda appreciates our schemes related to farmers," Ali said.
Read Exclusive COVID-19 Coronavirus News updates, at MyNation.