KTR vows to quit if TRS fails in GHMC polls

Hyderabad: Panchayat Raj Minister K Taraka Rama Rao, who is leading the campaign for TRS in the GHMC elections, on Monday announced that he would resign from the State Cabinet if TRS fails to win majority seats and the Mayor's post in the GHMC elections.

At a Meet-the-Press programme held here, Rao challenged TPCC chief N Uttam Kumar Reddy and Telangana BJP president G Kishan Reddy to make similar announcements. Speaking to media persons here, KTR claimed that the TRS would win 100 seats in the GHMC elections. He predicted that MIM would emerge as the second largest party while BJP would be placed third. He said that the Congress party would not be able to win even 10 seats.

KTR said that the TRS Government would accomplish in five years what previous TDP and Congress Governments failed to do in the last five decades. He said that the TRS Government has taken several measures for the development of Hyderabad during the last 18 months. He clarified that he was not an aspirant for the Chief Minister's post.

He said he was quite satisfied with the post of State Minister and K Chandrashekar Rao would remain the Chief Minister for the next 15 years. He said the opposition parties were making baseless allegations against the TRS and were trying to divide the Telugu-speaking people.

People in Hyderabad have by now understood that TRS means business. He said TRS was never against any section of society whether they were people from Seemandhra or any other part of the country. All those who stay in Hyderabad and earn a living are integral part of Telangana state, he said.

KTR criticised the previous governments for failing to develop the Telangana region and Hyderabad city. Giving a broad indication of what the party manifesto would be, KTR said his party’s goal was to provide basic needs to the citizens of Hyderabad like water, health, round-the-clock power supply even during summer, safety of women, education and good administration.

Stating that Hyderabad was the economic backbone and was the growth engine for the undivided Andhra Pradesh, he said the TRS government would now ensure that it becomes the best and most preferred destination global investments. The State government would also initiate effective measures to ease vehicular traffic jam through 54 signal free junctions in Hyderabad, 11 skyways to be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 11,000 crore.

He said the party will also explain to the people that all this will take some time and cannot be done overnight. Hyderabad certainly will be a safe, smart, clean, green and livable city, he said. He assured the citizens of completing the outer ring road within six months, curb encroachments in the Musi river and develop river-bed land in a phased manner.

Replying to a question on alliance with MIM, he said he fails to understand why this question was cropping up time and again. The TRS, he said had made it clear that they were contesting 150 seats and would win 100 seats and will have its own mayor. In such a case where is the question of alliance with MIM, he said.

When asked who would add glamour to the campaign by TRS, the minister said that that they do not require any filmy glamour. “KCR is the most glamorous person for us,” he added.