Quota and Crop Loan Waiver Dominate Poll Campaign in TS

Hyderabad: Reservations and crop loan waiver have moved to the center stage of the Lok Sabha election campaign in Telangana state. The ruling Congress is targeting the BJP over its alleged plans to scrap reservations for the SC, ST, and OBC communities and the BRS on the issue of crop loan waiver by August 15.

The Congress has set the campaign agenda on both these issues forcing opposition BJP and BRS to follow suit and push them into defensive mode.

TPCC chief and Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy is undertaking an aggressive campaign against the BJP on the issue of reservation and against the BRS on crop loan waiver. In every election rally that Revanth Reddy is addressing, he is stressing on both these issues warning voters that if the BJP comes to power for a third term, it will abolish the reservation of SCs, STs, and OBCs aligning with "RSS agenda".

Revanth Reddy has been accusing the BJP of planning surgical strikes on SCs, STs, and OBCs by abolishing reservations, trying to achieve the RSS goal of making India a 'non-reservations country' in 2025 when the RSS completes 100 years of its formation and celebrating centenary celebrations.

Initially, BJP leaders did not take the issue of reservation seriously. However, after noticing that Revanth Reddy's repeated warnings have created a sense of panic among SC, ST, and OBC population, all the top BJP state leaders sprung into action and vehemently condemned the Congress leader’s warnings.

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat in Hyderabad on Sunday clarified that RSS has always supported reservations for certain groups and reiterated that the Sangh will continue to do so.

The BRS, which maintained silence on this issue all these days, also started to respond.

Addressing election rallies, BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao is cautioning voters that if they want reservations to continue, they should defeat the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections.

On the issue of crop loan waiver, Revanth Reddy is swearing in the name of famous temples and Gods that he will waive crop loans of farmers up to Rs 2 lakh by August 15.

The BRS, which initially tried to put Revanth Reddy in a dock on the non-fulfillment of crop loan waiver promise within 100 days of coming to power, is now forced to throw 'resignation challenges' at him. After realising that Revanth Reddy taking oath on Gods was creating a positive impact on people, the BRS has now launched a counter-offensive asking Revanth whether he will quit his post if he fails to deliver by August 15.

BRS leader T.Harish Rao rushed to Telangana Martyrs Memorial in front of the Legislative Assembly with his conditional 'resignation letter' and submitted to journalists present there urging them to submit to the Speaker if Revanth Reddy waives crop loans by August 15.