Telangana polls: Good turnout at Yellareddy meeting but KCR fails to impress youth

The caretaker CM of Telangana, K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR), who is aiming to recapture the state crown, is on a whirlwind tour across the state as part of the second phase of campaigning following the grand homam in his Erravalli farmhouse.

On Tuesday, KCR addressed as many as four public gatherings – at Siddipeta, Huzurabad, Siricilla and Yellareddy constituencies, urging the voters to elect TRS back to power with a solid majority.

At Yellareddy town, the meeting ground was decked with huge hoardings and thousands were seen flocking to the gathering on four-wheelers, autos and bikes. Even as artists sang songs exaggerating the development schemes of the TRS government, KCR arrived in a helicopter with people cheering him on.

The local incumbent MLA Ravinder Reddy, caretaker agriculture minister Pocharam Srinivas Reddy and MP BB Patil accompanied KCR to the stage while showing the victory symbol amidst cheers.

Srinivas Reddy and Ravinder Reddy wrapped up their speeches early, hailing the TRS and KCR’s “welfare” rule. Before handing over to KCR, Ravinder Reddy asked the gathering to re-elect TRS, saying, “Bless KCR once again with a solid majority to ensure development in the constituency.”

KCR’s speech

KCR praised Ravinder Reddy and agriculture minister Srinivas Reddy as the leaders who used the development projects. He said that they had utilised the funds of the ‘Mission Kakatiya’ project extensively in the area as it is an agriculture-oriented region.

He said that Telangana is in the number one position in the country while stating that his was the first government to provide 24 hours power supply for agriculture.

He said, “No state has achieved this much progress, we have given pensions to senior citizens, beedi workers and widows, we are sure we will increase the pensions.”

Hailing his crown ‘Rythubandhu’ scheme as the greatest ever, he said, “The world is wondering about Rythubandhu, there is no such scheme in the world, we have disbursed the assistance without any discrepancies.”

KCR said that the area would get 10 TMC irrigation water with projects in Mothe, Darmaraopet and Gujjul villages. He promised food processing units at each constituency in the state and claimed that the marketing would be done by DWCRA women groups.

While claiming that his government doesn’t have caste and religion, he appealed to the people not to vote on the basis of caste. He said that he would work for the progress of Dalits and minorities along with the welfare of backward communities.

Attacking the Congress, he said that the party hadn’t done anything in the state when it was in power.

Targeting the tribal votes in the region, he said that his government had turned the hamlets into gram panchayats for self-governance of tribals. He also said, “We sought increase in reservations for tribals in the state, but the Centre hasn’t accorded it, we will fight with the Centre if required to achieve this.”

Crowd reaction

Even as KCR began his speech, some people broke the barricades near the media gallery, leaving journalists in chaos, and came close to the stage. Taking quick stock of the scene, KCR asked the police to allow the people to remain there. However, the incident raised concerns over security.

However, this last meeting in Kamareddy seemingly put off the youth among the cadres as the leader’s speech didn’t contain his usual grandiose remarks nor did it address any of their problems.

Soon after KCR’s speech, this reporter spoke to two youths near the venue who said they were graduates from the neighbouring Nagireddypet mandal. They claimed that KCR’s speech wasn’t up to his usual mark. One of them said, “I watched the three other speeches today, he repeated the same thing everywhere. He changed nothing except for a few lines like place, local leaders’ names, etc.”

When asked what he had expected from KCR’s speech, the youth said, “He has showered sops on farmers and women, and talked about his achievements, but what is that he wants to offer unemployed youth except Rs 3,016. Is that enough? That’s not what unemployed youth need.”

As this reporter travelled to Gandhari mandal in an auto of the TRS cadre who came to attend the KCR meeting, when asked if the people had come on their own, the auto driver said, “They’re all ‘looked after’ (suggesting they were paid for coming) by local leaders. In fact, tomorrow they may go to another meeting of another party.”