Shri Rao said that after 75 years of independence, the time has come for the farmers to take over the reins of the country.
Hyderabad:
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, who has renamed his party to match his national ambitions, today began his journey across the border in Maharashtra’s Nanded with a rally and appeal to farmers. While no elections are going to be held in the area, Nanded has a section of Telugu speaking population. Earlier, some villages in the area had demanded that they be allowed to merge with Telangana in view of plans in the neighboring state.
To be considered a national entity, the relaunched Bharat Rashtra Samithi must be recognized as a state party in at least four states or must secure six per cent votes in any of the four states and four Lok Sabha seats. Otherwise, it will have to win two per cent of the Lok Sabha seats (11 seats) in at least three states.
Announcing that he plans to contest all election contests in Maharashtra, Mr. Rao said that after 75 years of Independence, the time had come for farmers to take over the reins of the nation.
“That’s why the slogan of the BRS is ‘Abki Baar, Kisan Sarkar’,” he said.
He said, “It is not impossible if we unite. The number of farmers in our country is more than 42 per cent and if the number of agricultural laborers is also added to it, it will be more than 50 per cent who are required to form the government. It is adequate.” Rao said. “Today the time has come. 75 years is a long period. Farmers should also be able to write and make rules,” he said.
Mr Rao, who started with the vision of a non-Congress-non-BJP front, has modified it somewhat with plans to take his party national. He is now looking at pan-India groups such as farmers’ bodies, trade unions and civil society groups, where his party can have more traction and present an alternative welfare, development and political agenda.
While Telangana is known for farmer-friendly schemes which include Rythu Bandhu Life Insurance, Rythu Bandhu Investment Assistance, subsidy for seed distribution and scheme for farm mechanization.
Maharashtra is the state where maximum farmer suicides have taken place. In addition, both the BJP and the Congress are playing significant roles in the state – one as part of the ruling coalition and the other in the opposition.
For KCR, the big question will be expansion in Karnataka, where he is friendly with HD Kumaraswamy’s opposition Janata Dal Secular.
The opposition alliance in Maharashtra – the Shiv Sena and Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party – did not attend the first BRS meeting in January, although Mr Rao visited Mumbai and met them last year.