In a surprise claim, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that Telangana Chief Minister K. ChandraShekhar Rao had expressed his desire to join the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance, but changed his mind after his proposal was rejected.
Addressing a BJP rally at Nizamabad in the poll-bound state, Modi said the Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) chief had made multiple attempts to secure BJP’s support after the Hyderabad Municipal Election where the saffron party won 48 seats.
“I am going to tell you a secret. When BJP won 48 seats in the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation election, KCR (as Rao is popularly known) needed our support. Before this election, he used to welcome me at the airport, but later suddenly he stopped doing so,” the prime minister said.
“KCR came to meet me in Delhi…he started telling me that the country is progressing under your leadership, and said that he wanted to join the NDA. He also asked me to extend support to him. I told him (KCR) that due to his ‘deeds’ Modi cannot associate with him,” he further said.
Modi mentioned another incident when Rao approached him and told him that he was going to hand over all ‘karobar’ to his son K.T. Rama Rao.
“I told KCR that it is a democracy and his successor will be decided by the people of Telangana,” said the prime minister.
Stepping up his attack further on the BRS government, Modi said the state has broken all its promises made to the farmers, but the central government transferred around Rs 10,000 crores to the bank accounts of 40 lakh farmers.
“Under the 'One District, One Product scheme', Turmeric produced in the Nizamabad district is being promoted. As per our promises to the turmeric farmers, the National Turmeric Board will be formed,” he said.
Modi had sounded the BJP’s poll bugle in the southern state on Sunday, saying people of Telangana want a change in government.
"In recent years, people of Telangana have strengthened BJP in Lok Sabha, Vidhan Sabha and civic elections. The huge crowd gathered here proves that Telangana wants a change. Telangana wants a change because it wants a transparent and corruption-free government, not false promises. Telangana now wants a BJP government…," he had said, addressing an election rally in Mahabubnagar.
