Revanth seeks votes for Congress in MLC polls

Hyderabad: Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Monday appealed to graduate voters to elect Congress candidate Alphores Narender Reddy in the upcoming Graduate MLC elections for the Medak-Nizamabad-Adilabad-Karimnagar Graduates' Constituency, scheduled for February 27. He said that a victory for the Congress would strengthen the government and give more benefits to students, youth, and the unemployed in the coming days.

Highlighting the Congress government's achievements in ts first year in power, Revanth Reddy said that over 55,000 government jobs were filled, DSC and Group recruitment exams were successfully conducted, and Skill and Sports Universities were established to train youth in job skills and sports. He urged graduates to support Congress stating that their vote would empower the government to continue these initiatives.

During a whirlwind campaign in Nizamabad, Mancherial, and Karimnagar districts for MLC election, Revanth Reddy stressed that the Congress government would remain unaffected by the election’s outcome but that graduates would benefit significantly if their representative was from Congress. He stated that an elected Congress MLC would serve as a crucial link between the government and the graduates, ensuring that their issues are addressed effectively.

"Irrespective of whether the Congress wins or loses, it will not have any impact on the Congress government because it's an MLC election and not an MLA election. We have fielded a Congress candidate because he will serve as a bridge between the government and graduates. If he loses, there will be no person to raise your issues. It will be a loss to graduates and not the Congress government," Revanth Reddy said.

He also dismissed statements from BRS leaders regarding potential bypolls due to the Supreme Court case on BRS MLAs, who joined the Congress, questioning why similar circumstances in the past during BRS regime did not lead to by-elections. He accused the BRS and the BJP of conspiring to weaken the Congress government, alleging that BRS chief K. Chandrashekhar Rao, despite being rejected by the people, was engaging in "conspiracy politics" while remaining secluded in his farmhouse.

Revanth Reddy criticised the BRS for not contesting the MLC elections while simultaneously campaigning against the Congress. He challenged BRS leaders to clarify which candidate they were supporting, questioning their political legitimacy after suffering defeats in the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections.

The Chief Minister accused the previous BRS government of failing to address unemployment, leading to widespread distress among the youth. He pointed out that the Congress administration had provided 55,163 government jobs, promoted 35,000 teachers, facilitated transfers for 22,000 teachers, and created 17,000 new teaching positions.

Revanth Reddy explained the Congress' efforts to develop 65 ITIs into Advanced Technology Centres in collaboration with Tata, with an investment of `2,400 crore. He also highlighted the establishment of Young India Skill University under the chairmanship of Anand Mahindra to generate employment opportunities.

In sports, he underscored the creation of Young India Sports University to improve India's Olympic prospects and praised the government's recognition of athletes like world champion Nikhat Zareen and cricketer Mohammed Siraj with financial rewards and Group-1 posts.

For farmers, Revanth Reddy noted that the government had waived `21,000 crore in farm loans, benefiting 25 lakh farmers, and was providing `12,000 per acre annually under the Rythu Bharosa scheme. He urged farmers to support Congress, given its commitment to agricultural welfare.

He acknowledged financial difficulties inherited from the previous BRS regime, claiming that the BRS government left a debt of `7 lakh crore. He assured that his government was addressing these challenges while ensuring timely salary payments for government employees. Revanth Reddy contrasted this with delayed salary disbursements during the BRS regime, urging government employees to recognize Congress’ commitment to their welfare.

Taking aim at BJP leaders, Revanth Reddy questioned why the BJP-led central government had not conducted a national caste census in 2021. He pointed out that his government had completed the caste survey within a year and released official data, revealing that BCs constituted 56.33 per cent of the state's population. He criticised BJP leaders, including Bandi Sanjay, for attempting to create obstacles in the caste census process and challenged them to identify any flaws in the survey instead of opposing it.

Revanth Reddy also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of failing to address the long-standing demand for SC classification despite public posturing. He said that his government had passed a resolution on SC classification, calling on Dalit voters to recognise Congress' role in resolving the issue.

Revanth Reddy accused Union minister Kishan Reddy of blocking key infrastructure projects, including the expansion of the Hyderabad Metro Rail, Musi Rejuvenation Project and Regional Ring Road project. He claimed that BJP leaders were deliberately hindering Telangana’s progress to prevent the Congress government from gaining credit. He challenged Kishan Reddy to secure central funds and approvals for stalled projects if he was genuinely committed to the state's development.