The opposition Congress and BJP in Telangana on Monday claimed that Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao's decision to contest in two seats in the coming Assembly elections shows his insecurity.
State Congress president A Revanth Reddy said Rao chose to contest in two seats in the Assembly polls as he believes that he would lose one of them.
Reddy, a Lok Sabha member, made light of the announcement of 115 candidates for the polls by Rao.
He asserted that Congress would come to power with two-thirds majority in the Assembly elections.
He said he had challenged Rao to give tickets to all sitting MLAs and to contest only from Gajwel.
However, Rao made changes in sitting MLAs and chose to contest from Kamareddy seat in addition to Gajwel, Reddy said.
"The leader who wants to make so many candidates win is contesting in two assembly seats. It means Chandrasekhar Rao firmly believes that he would lose one of them," the PCC president told reporters.
Rao contesting from two segments amounts to admission of his defeat, Reddy asserted, adding that the Chief Minister would lose in both Gajwel and Kamareddy.
Meanwhile, Union Minister and state BJP president G Kishan Reddy said Rao contesting from two seats shows his fear and insecurity as the saffron party continues to surge and get support from all sections, including tribals and Schedule Castes.
In a veiled reference to BRS MLC and Rao's daughter K Kavitha holding a protest in Delhi earlier demanding 33 per cent reservation for women, Kishan Reddy said such a quota for women has not been followed in the allotment of tickets.
Rao on Monday stole a march on the opposition Congress and BJP, announcing 115 candidates for the total 119 seats in the upcoming Assembly polls, and choosing to contest in two seats himself -- Gajwel and Kamareddy.
Published 21 August 2023, 16:52 IST