Senior BJP leader and incumbent MLC N. Ramchander Rao accused the TRS of making former Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao’s daughter Vani Devi contest from the Hyderabad-RR-Mahabubnagar Graduates constituency in the last minute as a fallout of the gruesome daylight murder of lawyer couple Vaman Rao and his wife Nagamani at Manthani a few days ago.
“It is their last ditch effort to assuage the Brahmin community but they will not succeed as the educated lot from among all castes and communities are with me. The entire lawyer fraternity has been supporting me and everyone is aware of the role I had played in the Legislative Council in questioning the various omissions and commissions of the government,” he said on Wednesday.
At a press conference at the party office, Mr. Rao wondered why the TRS leadership did not deem it fit to give either Rajya Sabha seat or chairpersonship of any corporation rather than force her to contest a seat only to ‘sacrifice’ her. “It is evident that the ruling party wants the Communist Party candidate to win. If it was really sincere in recognising PV’s family, there were other ways,” he claimed.
Responding to the criticism against him by Minister K.T. Rama Rao, the BJP leader pointed out several loopholes in various issues, including the municipal bills that came up during his interventions in the Upper House. The government had allotted ₹100 crore to lawyers but did not disburse for three years till he had lobbied for the disbursal and the interest alone has helped in issuance of health cards.
The party also rushed to the aid of junior lawyers during lockdown with provision of essential commodities and also provided mask, sanitisers, PPE kits to health workers in government hospitals.
“I had a right to question the government and it was up to them to respond. The TRS should answer why it left higher education in the lurch, not appointing vice chancellors for universities, not filling up lecturers posts, lack of notifications to government jobs, delays in implementation of pay revision commission and others,” he said.
Mr. Rao also accused the government of inaction in providing funds to MMTS Phase II, land for establishment of AIIMS, ensuring high medical insurance cover through Ayushman Bharat for people whereas the Modi government has been proactive in clearing national highways, and regional ring road works.