Congress' Vote-Bank Tactics Sowing Discord: Fadnavis

BJP leaders Ramchander Rao and Kishan Reddy rally Telangana voters to reject Congress-BRS deceit and vote BJP for safeguarding funds, temples, and justice while exposing appeasement-driven failures in promises and governance

metro india news  I hyderabad

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, while campaigning for the BJP in Telangana's municipal elections, sharply criticized the Congress party for sowing seeds of division through appeasement policies, accusing them of prioritizing vote-bank politics over genuine development and unity. He highlighted how such tactics undermine social harmony and urged voters to support the BJP for inclusive governance.

In his address at the rally in Sirpur Kagaznagar on Saturday, Fadnavis warned that the Congress government's appeasement tactics were reminiscent of pre-Independence divisive politics. "He (referring to CM A Revanth Reddy) has started a dangerous game. I would like to remind you that some Congress leaders, in a way, started a similar game before Independence.

The result was that the country was divided and Pakistan, and later Bangladesh, were formed," Fadnavis charged. He further alleged that the current administration was dividing people on religious lines by reallocating reservations meant for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) to other religious groups, adding, "In a way, Congress is sowing the seeds of division." 

Fadnavis emphasized that future generations would question what people did while such divisive rhetoric was allowed to flourish, urging voters to reject these policies in the upcoming February 11 municipal elections.

Fadnavis also drew contrasts between BJP's achievements and the failures of previous regimes in Telangana. He highlighted how the state, which was revenue-surplus at its formation in 2014, had become debt-ridden due to corruption under both BRS and Congress governments, while BJP-ruled states had seen rapid progress. Recalling his 2015 inter-state agreement on Godavari river water with then-CM K Chandrasekhar Rao, which expanded irrigation in Telangana, he accused BRS and Congress of betraying even those who aided them, stating, "You can see the intentions of the BRS and Congress.

These people even betray those who gave them water. They cannot do good for the people. " He pointed out that municipalities had been neglected for 70 years until Prime Minister Narendra Modi introduced schemes like Smart Cities and Amrit Bharat to fund urban development, but stressed that these funds would only reach effectively if BJP was elected at the local level. Expressing optimism, Fadnavis said the winds of BJP's recent victories in Maharashtra—where the party won 240 out of 280 municipalities and mayoral posts in 26 out of 29 corporations, including Mumbai for the first time—would sweep into Telangana, leading to impressive gains for the party.

BJP State President N. Ramchander Rao, who also took part in the meeting, emphasized the party's commitment to taking full responsibility for implementing central government schemes if voted to power in Asifabad and Kaghaznagar municipalities. He highlighted the public's enthusiasm as a foundation for BJP's victory, promising strict measures to prevent diversion of Finance Commission funds by the state government and ensure they are used for urban development.

Urging voters to protect temples and temple lands, Rao positioned BJP as the sole party capable of safeguarding Telangana, with the slogan "Save Telangana – Vote for BJP." He reminded people that both BRS and Congress had deceived them in the past, and it's time to give BJP a chance for good governance and future progress.

In a media conference at the BJP state office in Hyderabad, Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy lambasted CM Revanth Reddy for urging votes for Congress in the upcoming February 11 municipal elections despite the government's failure to fulfill promises after over two years in power. Kishan criticized Congress for turning into the epitome of appeasement politics, citing Revanth's Jubilee Hills election remark equating Congress with Muslims as degrading.

Kishan blamed Revanth for shirking responsibility by pinning failures on others, similar to KCR, and warned that people won't be fooled. He demanded CM resignation if lacking courage for action, and called for transparency on a forensic lab fire potentially destroying evidence in high-profile cases like vote-for-note and phone-tapping. Finally, he suggested hate speech laws should first target Revanth for insulting Hindu gods and divisive statements.