Vote as per conscience in Presidential polls, tells KCR

Hyderabad: Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) president and Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao has appealed to the electorate in the Presidential polls to vote according to their conscience and elect the Opposition parties candidate Yashwanth Sinha.

Speaking at a meeting organised by the TRS on the occasion of the visit of Yashwanth Sinha to Hyderabad, Chandrashekhar Rao recalled that on an earlier occasion, VV Giri was elected as the President of India on the same lines of voting as per the conscience. He urged the electorate in the Presidential polls to compare the qualities of the two candidates and carefully and vote for Yashwanth Sinha.

He said Yashwanth Sinha was better qualifiled to be the President of India. He started his career as an advocate, later got into civi services and later joined politics and became a union minister. His vast experience would help enhance the prestige of India.

Earlier, Sinha was accorded a grand welcome by the TRS when he landed at the Begumpet airport. The Chief Minister and a host of his cabinet colleagues received him at the airport. Later a rally was taken out from Begumpet to Jal Vihar on Necklace road where the TRS ministers, MPs, MLAs, MLCs and other party leaders assembled for a meeting.

Later in his address, Yashwanth Sinha said the Presidential polls were not between two individuals, but it was between two ideologies. He maintained that the fight against the dictatorial policies of Modi government would continue even after the Presidential polls and all opposition parties would launch a united fight to protect the democracy in India. He thanked Chief Minister Chandrashekhar Rao for the support in the ensuing polls.

Earlier,stating that the presidential elections are being held under "extraordinary circumstances", the opposition's presidential candidate Yashwant Sinha on Saturday said the fight will continue even after the polls.

Speaking at a meeting organised by the TRS party in support of his candidature, Sinha said the election is not a fight between two individuals but a battle of ideologies.

Launching an attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said the PM never believed in "consensus" but only "confrontation." He said he tried to reach out to Modi over phone after filing his nomination as presidential candidate. However, Sinha said he was informed that the PM was not available and till now there was no response for the call.

He said when he was Finance Minister in Atal Bihari Vajpayee's cabinet, he never imagined that the Enforcement Directorate could be used against rivals.

Thanking Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao for the support, Sinha said the country needs leaders like Rao.

Rao who was present in the meeting appealed to all parliamentarians and other eligible voters for the presidential elections to vote "as per their conscience." Attacking Modi, Rao said everyday there is gross misuse of constitutional bodies in this country to harass the opponents of the NDA government.

The southern satrap alleged that not even a single poll promise of the BJP was fulfilled. Rao alleged that some of the cabinet ministers sitting in Hyderabad say that they can bring down the TRS government the way they did in Maharashtra.

"You do it. We are also waiting for that. So that we will become free. We will bring you down from Delhi," he said.

Rao and some of his cabinet colleagues received Sinha at Begumpet Airport this afternoon.

Sinha was accorded a grand reception at the airport and taken to Jalavihar, where he and KCR addressed the electorate, in a rally with thousands of TRS workers and leaders.

Earlier in the day,Telangana Chief Minister and TRS party chief K Chandrashekar Rao on Saturday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of killing democracy and the federal system.

Addressing a meeting organised by the TRS party, Rao said, "You (Modi) are killing democracy and federal system every day, you are bringing down the government which doesn't listen to you and oppressing voice that doesn't listen to you." The Chief Minister further said PM Modi's dictatorship is increasing day by day which is a threat to the nation. Rao said the political changes will happen as no one is permanent.

"Your dictatorship is increasing day by day which is a threat to the nation. Political changes will happen as no one is permanent. PM Modi might be dreaming that he is permanent which is not true," he said.

"People know what is happening in the country today. Farmers are agitated, unemployed youths are disturbed, inflation is increasing and PM Modi is misusing Constitutional bodies. Whoever speaks against him, he uses these agencies against that person," he added.

Rao said, "Today our Prime Minister is coming to Hyderabad and he will speak against me. It is fine, it's democracy anyone can say whatever they want." "I would like PM Modi to give answers to our questions at Hyderabad Assembly the same way he put allegations against Opposition," Roa said.

When (Modi) was elected he said he will double the income of the farmers but instead, the price of diesel and petrol was hiked, Rao said. "When You (Modi) were elected the first time, you made a lot of promises to the public. Was even one of them fulfilled? If you have fulfilled it, I want to know which was that promise. Not a single promise was fulfilled," the chief minister said.

Earlier in the day, Chief Minister received the Opposition's presidential candidate Yashwant Sinha at Begumpet Airport in Hyderabad.

"We're lucky to have selected a good leader (Yashwant Sinha) for the Presidential post. We have welcomed him warmly in Hyderabad…I appeal to all Parliamentarians to compare both candidates and elect Sinha… we need to bring in a qualitative change in Indian politics." Voting for presidential elections will take place on July 18 and votes will be counted on July 21.Sinha was named as the common

Opposition candidate for the presidential election on June 21.

This comes ahead of Bharatiya Janata Party's two-day long National Executive meeting in Hyderabad.

KCR will not receive Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the airport. He is arriving in the city today to participate in the two-day long Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National Executive meeting.

The two-day Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National Executive meeting will start in Hyderabad today.

PM Modi will attend the meeting and is expected to address the national executive on Sunday.