I'm Telangana's 'agent', not of BJP or Congress, says KCR

Hyderabad: TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao said Monday he was only an “agent” of the people of Telangana and not anyone else’s, amid accusations that he was the BJP’s “B team” and also the Congress’ “agent”.

“He (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) says KCR is Sonia Gandhi’s agent. Rahul Gandhi comes and says KCR is (the) ‘B’ team of Narendra Modi. Then, whose agent am I ? What is this story of agents?” Rao asked.

“I submit only one thing… KCR is Telangana people’s agent and not (an) agent of anybody…,” the caretaker chief minister said, while addressing a rally at Kodad town in Suryapet district. Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday alleged that Modi, Rao and AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi were “one” and urged the people of Telangana to not be “fooled by them”.

He also claimed that the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) was the BJP’s “B team” and Rao “operates” as Modi’s “Telangana Rubber Stamp”. “Owaisi’s, AIMIM is the BJP’s ‘C’ team, whose role is to split the anti BJP/KCR vote,” the Congress chief tweeted.

Modi had last Tuesday called the Congress and the TRS two sides of the same coin. Addressing a rally in Telangana, he recalled Rao’s “apprenticeship” with the Congress and claimed they were playing a “friendly match” in the Assembly polls.

At the Kodad rally, Rao also criticised Modi’s alleged comments that there is a power shortage in Telangana. The caretaker chief minister claimed that the country had been able to use only 30,000 thousand million cubic feet (tmc) of water though 70,000 tmc of water is available. “40,000 TMC water is merging with the sea.”

He claimed that Telangana is the only state in the country which gives 24-hour free power to farmers. “Narendra Modiji, your government is there in 19 states. Are you giving 24 hours free power to farmers in any of the states?” Rao asked. Telangana goes to polls on Friday.