Cong headed towards victory in TS with a clear majority: Jairam Ramesh

Hyderabad: AICC general secretary and MP Jairam Ramesh said that the Congress was heading towards victory in Telangana, like it did in Karnataka. He ruled out the possibility of voters sending a hung Assembly, and listed out four reasons why the BRS had failed Telangana.

In an interview to Deccan Chronicle at Gandhi Bhavan, the local party headquarters here, Ramesh alleged that the BRS, BJP and the AIMIM had come together to defeat the Congress but their attempts would not succeed.

Jairam, who played a key role in drafting the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014, said the four prime objectives for which the Congress-led UPA government bifurcated Andhra Pradesh and created Telangana state were not met under BRS regime.

He said that the claims of the BRS government on highest GSDP growth, per capita income and per capita power consumption were 'bogus'. He said the development and investments were concentrated in Hyderabad and surrounding districts like Rangareddy, Sangareddy, and the other districts continued to remain backward.

This failing was seen in undivided Hyderabad, and continued nine years after Telangana state was formed.

“So, I would say the first objective of the dispersal of growth and investment activity has not happened, which was one of the main reasons for the Telangana statehood movement," Ramesh said.

The second objective was to make politics more democratic. "In combined AP, politics were controlled only by a few castes. After nine years, political power is concentrated in ne family. So the second objective was also not met."

The third objective was employment. "But Telangana has the highest unemployment rate at 15 per cent compared to the national average of 10 per cent. There has been no major recruitment by the TSPSC."

The fourth objective was ensuring social justice. "Only a few castes continue to control economic and political power in Telangana. The Backward Classes, Scheduled Classes, Scheduled Tribes, minorities communities are yet to reap the benefit," ramesh stated.

He said the Congress had brought the Six Guarantees to the people to achieve these four objectives, if it is voted to power.

When asked how the Congress would mobilise financial resources to fund the Six Guarantees, ramesh said, "We know it's not an easy task. But we have done a thorough exercise on how to mobilise funds. We are implementing Five Guarantees in Karnataka successfully and we will do the same in Telangana."