Telangana CM KCR wants to spend Rs 2,000 cr for 'Dalit empowerment' in an assembly constituency going to by-polls

An ambitious scheme envisaged by Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao to “empower Dalits” in Telangana would be launched from Huzurabad soon, where a by-election is imminent.

Chief minister Rao is facing a major challenge in the assembly constituency from his former confidant Eatala Rajender who has joined the BJP after exiting the TRS and resigning from the seat.

While it was earlier decided to earmark Rs 1,200 crore under the programme for the entire state, Rao has now announced that an additional Rs 1,500 cr to Rs 2,000 crore could be expended in Huzurabad alone, where the pilot project would be implemented. The CM said that about 21,000 SC families would be scrutinised for selection as beneficiaries from the five mandals of the constituency, and that the scheme would be carried out in “a saturation mode” there.

The Telangana Dalita Bandhu scheme, as named by Rao on Sunday, was originally intended to provide a financial assistance of Rs 10 lakh each to 11,900 Scheduled Caste beneficiaries in the state, with 100 families selected from each of the 119 assembly constituencies.

Analysts attribute the CM's largesse for one constituency to the ruling party's necessity to retain the seat in its account. By the time Huzurabad by-poll is completed, Telangana assembly elections would be only two years away. TRS leaders are worried that a BJP victory, though largely due to the four time MLA Eatala's influence, would help the saffron party spread its sway in the state.

The BJP had shocked the TRS last year with its back to back electoral victories in Dubbaka assembly and Hyderabad civic body polls. While the TRS managed to regain its electoral hold in Telangana by the wins in the Nagarjuna Sagar assembly, MLC and urban body elections later, the combination of Eatala and BJP has apparently become formidable for the ruling party.

The CMO sources, however, stated that Huzurabad was selected because of the CM's sentimental attachment to the place in erstwhile Karimnagar district since the statehood agitation time. “Even Rythu Bandhu (an investment support scheme for farmers) was launched from Huzurabad. So, it was decided to continue the tradition,” an official said.

Eatala was sacked in May over the charges of land grabbing, which he described as a planned conspiracy by the TRS bigwigs to oust him. The Backward Community leader, who served as the finance minister in Rao's first term, even alleged that the TRS leaders toiled for his defeat in the 2018 assembly polls.

On Monday, Eatala set out on a three week padayatra to cover the entire constituency in preparation of the by-polls. “Scared of their defeat, the TRS leaders are threatening the voters and creating hurdles to my tour. Nevertheless, Huzurabad would mark the beginning of the end of KCR's dictatorship,” warned Eatala.