KCR decision leaves rival parties dazed
Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao
Hyderabad: TS Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s decision to fund the election expense of the TRS’ Warangal Lok Sabha nominee Pasanuri Dayakar has created ripples within the party and also in the Opposition camp.
Though earlier CMs, especially Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, had privately funded some candidates in the past, this is the first time that a Chief Minister has openly told party leaders that entire election expense of Mr Dayakar, a sculptor, will be borne by party.
“I am a loyal soldier. I am ever grateful to the CM for giving me ticket and standing by me. TRS will by a huge majority,” said Mr Dayakar said, after filing the nomination papers in Warangal. Though the Election Commission has set a limit on the campaign expenditure of Rs 70 lakh per candidate for Lok Sabha elections, it is peanuts compared to the actual expenses expenditure incurred by rival parties.
According to a Congress leader, it costs anything between Rs 8 and Rs 10 crore or even more, to mount a serious campaign for LS election. “KCR’s decision to fund election campaign of the TRS candidate has certainly put Congress, TD-BJP and other parties in a fix. When parties look for money bags, the decision will put pressure on them fund their nominees. This is an unprecedented situation,” the Congress leader said.
TRS MP B. Vinod Kumar said this was the first time that any political party will bear the entire election expenditure of its candidate. “TRS is a trend setter. It shows KCR’s magnanimity towards its party loyalists who are unable to bear election expenses. We will win by a thumping majority,” Mr Kumar said.
While Mr Rao’s campaign schedule is yet to be finalised, TRS is banking heavily on its welfare and developmental programmes like old age pension scheme and Asara pension of Rs 1,000, power cut-free state, waiver of farm loans, proposed two-bedroom houses for the poor, Mission Kakatiya, Telangana Water Grid, Kalyana Lakshmi, Haritha Haaram, 6 kg fine rice for poor among others.
TD backs off, BJP to name Devaiah as its candidate:
The BJP on Monday finalised P. Devaiah, an NRI who works as a doctor in the United States, as its candidate for the Warangal Lok Sabha bypoll. Though TS TD leaders insisted that the party contests the seat this time and approached party national president N. Chandrababu Naidu over the issue, he reportedly told them to better leave the seat for the BJP and not sour the relationship between the two parties.
“Our leader has advised us to cooperate with the BJP and support it names as its candidate. We have decided to abide by our party president’s decision,” said TS TD president L. Ramana. Both Mr Ramana and TD Legislature Party leader Errabelli Dayakar Rao conveyed the decision of not staking claim to the seat to the BJP leaders. The BJP parliamentary board is expected to make an official announcement on the candidate.
( Source : deccan chronicle )
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