Rajya Sabha member and Congress candidate from Amberpet Assembly Constituency V. Hanumantha Rao on Monday asserted that Congress would secure an absolute majority in the elections by winning 75 to 80 seats and form the government in Telangana State.
Asked whether the Congress would enter into an alliance with TRS or any other party in the event of a hung Assembly, Hanumantha Rao reiterated that the question of forging an alliance with any other party would not arise as the Congress would form the government.
Speaking at “Know Your Candidate” program organized by the NSS here, Hanumantha Rao said he had decided to contest for an Assembly seat because of the mounting pressure and request from the people of Amberpet where he was born and brought up. Moreover, since his Rajya Sabha tenure would come to an end in one year and ten months and there was no scope for getting nominated for a fourth term, he had decided to move to the State from Delhi and contest the election from Amberpet Assembly Constituency, he explained.
To persistent questions, Hanumantha Rao, though did not openly and categorically stated, did express his desire to be in the field for Chief Minister’s post in the Telangana State being a person belonging to Backward Class community. “Let me first win the election and after that whatever Sonia Gandhi decides, I will act accordingly, he observed.
VH regretted that the MIM had fielded a candidate though the minority voters are not many. However, he was confident that Muslim minorities would vote for him as they would never support an anti-secular party like BJP. He exuded confidence that despite the BJP nominee is a sitting member from the constituency, he has an advantage and edge being a local candidate. Moreover, the people of the area were aware of various developmental activities he had undertaken in the constituency as a Rajya Sabha member like providing a swimming pool, a stadium and so on. He was also striving to ensure that the constituency has good educational institutions. He was also taking up with the concerned authorities for providing the much-needed grave yard for the Muslim minorities in the area which was a long pending demand of the local people.
Hanumantha Rao lashed out at the BJP for entering into an alliance with TDP despite knowing fully well that Chandrababu Naidu had moved heaven and earth to stall the introduction of the Telangana Bill in Parliament.
Regarding TRS, he said KCR was known for changing stance according to his convenience. Though earlier he had high regard and hopes on KCR as a true and selfless leader devoted to the cause of Telangana, Hanumantha Rao said he had to change this opinion later because of the “selfish” politics being played by KCR. “The TRS president projecting himself as the Godfather of the people of Telangana by stating his main objective was to secure a separate state of Telangana. Now once Sonia Gandhi had granted the T State, KCR has become only the Godfather of his family and kith and kin, he quipped. (NSS)