All India Congress Committee leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday expressed his belief that the Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao-led BRS party is on track to lose the upcoming Assembly polls in Telangana.
Speaking at corner meetings during the Congress' ongoing 'Vijayabheri' Yatra in the state, where Assembly elections are scheduled for November 30, Rahul Gandhi accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao of remaining silent on the issue of caste census.
Rahul Gandhi emphasized the significance of the caste census, describing it as an "X-ray" that would shed light on the conditions of Dalits, tribals, and OBCs, and how the country's resources are allocated. He urged the public to question Modi and KCR about when they would conduct the caste census and pledged that if Congress came to power in Telangana, the caste census would be a priority.
He noted that Congress-ruled states like Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, and Karnataka have been instructed to conduct the caste census. He reiterated the commitment of the Congress party to conduct the caste census in Telangana.
Rahul Gandhi also highlighted the unequal distribution of resources and influence in the country, pointing out that only a small fraction of officers and bureaucrats, of which only three belong to the OBC category, control a significant portion of the budget.
He criticized the waiver of loans for industrialists while loans for farmers, labourers, women, and youth were not forgiven. He mentioned the burden of GST on small business owners and its benefits to big corporations.
Rahul Gandhi stressed the need for an "X-ray" of the country through the caste census, which would also reveal how much of Telangana's resources have been diverted by the "Chief Minister's family."
Accusing Telangana of being the most corrupt state in the country, Rahul Gandhi alleged that large sums of money had been taken away from the people, and the model of corruption in Telangana was being exported to other states.
He assured that the Congress would fulfil its six guarantees in Telangana and criticized KCR for not keeping his electoral promises.
Rahul Gandhi framed the upcoming electoral battle as a clash between "Dorala (feudal lords) Telangana" and "Prajala (people's) Telangana" and expressed his belief that KCR would lose the elections.
He questioned the lack of cases, ED, IT, and CBI inquiries against KCR, alleging that he had joined hands with the BJP. He also addressed the collaboration between BRS, BJP, and AIMIM and their impact on the public.
Rahul Gandhi claimed that the AIMIM's actions were influenced by the BJP, with the BJP determining where AIMIM candidates should be fielded, thereby benefiting both parties at the expense of the Telangana public.
