‘A vote for KCR is a vote for Modi’: Congress’ mantra to woo minorities

HYDERABAD: Nowadays, Congress leaders are harping on a slogan which says, “a vote for KCR is a vote for Modi”. Party seniors like TPCC chief N Uttam Kumar Reddy, ex-Union Minister S Jaipal Reddy and former Rajya Sabha member V Hanumantha Rao are regularly relying on this phrase to make people believe that there could be some understanding between TRS and the BJP.

Why are they regularly chanting this slogan? The grand-old party, which failed to win the 2014 polls despite according statehood to Telangana, is now using all its resources to regain power in the state. The party is now concentrating on reclaiming the confidence of Dalits, STs and minorities, who were its traditional vote bank earlier. The party has started taking all possible measures to woo minority sections of voters, particularly Muslims. As minorities play a decisive role in deciding the electoral fortunes of any political party in at least 35 Assembly segments in the state, TPCC leadership has directed its leaders to tour in areas dominated by Muslims in various Assembly segments like Kamareddy, Nizamabad, Zaheerabad, Bodhan and Nalgonda.

Against this backdrop, the TPCC chief and other seniors have started undertaking a campaign to brand Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao as a friend of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. By doing so, they want to woo the minorities back to the Congress fold as the TRS government is implementing various welfare measures for minorities like Shadi Mubarak.

Further, TPCC chief Uttam has been extensively touring various districts to take part in Iftar parties for the past one week. Uttam will host Iftar on behalf of the Congress here on Tuesday.

Members’ expulsion murder of democracy: Meira

Taking strong exception to the expulsion of Congress members Komatireddy Venkat Reddy and SA Sampath Kumar from the legislature, former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar termed the expulsion as murder of democracy.  Talking with reporters here on Monday, Meira Kumar said, “I was told that the TS Assembly had passed a resolution and expelled him (Sampath) from the House. A ruling party, by virtue of its numerical strength in the House, can have a resolution passed expelling all opposition members in any legislature. What is stopping you? Is it democracy? It is just murder of democracy.”