The Congress has dared Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao to dissolve the Assembly and go to polls in the wake of the latter’s challenge to the party.
Addressing a press conference here on Monday, Telangana Congress committee president N. Uttam Kumar Reddy and AICC secretary in charge of the State Ramachandra Kuntia said it was the stated stand of the party for the last one year, asking Mr. Rao to seek fresh mandate. The Congress had always maintained that Mr. Rao was sure to incur the wrath of voters if he faced elections.
They recalled that Mr. Rao had turned down the Congress challenge and committed the TRS government to a full term when the party asked him to face snap poll. Now that the offer had come from Mr. Rao, the Congress was always prepared for it. It was also welcome for the people of the State. The people were vexed with TRS rule as they felt let down because none of its promises was fulfilled.
The TRS lacked the character of a political party and there was no social justice in it. The party safeguarded the interests of the caste represented by Mr. Rao and his family. The TRS admitted leaders from other parties because it was weak.
They added that Mr. Rao misled public with false claims about survey results on people’s reaction to government programmes. Where was the need for Mr. Rao to throw challenge at Congress through media?. He could as well submit his resignation to the Governor and dissolve the Assembly.
Earlier, three newly appointed AICC secretaries allotted to Telangana — Srinivasan, Saleem Ahmed and D.S. Bose Raju — had a meeting with State Congress committee office-bearers and district presidents. The 17 Lok Sabha constituencies in Telangana were divided between them for supervising party campaign. They would nominate village, mandal and constituency level committees.