Cong is our main rival in Telangana, not BJP: Rama Rao

It is the Congress, a party with an over 100-year history and one to have seen many ups and downs, and not the BJP, which is the main rival of the TRS in Telangana, party working president K T Rama Rao said here on Wednesday.

"With two or three wins (in elections), success should not go to our head. Congress as a party has 100 years plus history. It has witnessed many ups and downs and the party should not be taken lightly. Congress is a party which cannot be ignored. I am saying this with all humility, Rao, son of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, said. He stated this when his attention was drawn to TPCC chief Uttam Kumar Reddys reported comments that he would step down as PCC chief after the urban bodies polls and focus more on his constituency. He said that irrespective of whether it was under Uttam Kumar Reddy's leadership or somebody else, the Congress is the main opposition party in Telangana for the TRS.

The BJP's position was still as it used to be during his childhood, he said. "Sometimes they (BJP) hit (winning four Lok Sabha seats ) with luck, Rama Rao further said in an informal chat with media persons. The Congress, despite its poor performance in the Assembly polls in 2018, bagged three seats, while BJP wrested four seats during the parliament elections in April 2019. The ruling TRS, which won 88 seats in the 119-seat Assembly poll, won only nine in the Lok Sabha polls out of 17. Telangana BJP chief spokesperson K Krishna Saagar Rao said Rama Rao has exhibited his 'inner fear' on BJP's rise in the state by referring to Congress as the only opposition for TRS.

He said BJP believed that the last two wins by TRS in the Assembly elections were a fluke, as the party factually lacked any organizational structure to fight and win any elections. TRS has to indulge in emotional divisive regional politics and minority appeasement to win elections, he said. "If any election is fought on TRS government's performance in the last two terms, TRS will not even win a single seat in Telangana. BJP considers itself the only alternative to TRS in Telangana, as voters have written off Congress long back and will reject TRS "misgovernance" in the next assembly elections, the BJP leader told PTI.

To a query on the coming urban local bodies poll, Rama Rao said his party would emerge victorious with the lion's share of seats. The state will go for polls to 120municipalitiesand 10 municipal corporations on January 22. He hoped the 2020-30 decade belongs to Telangana and the state leads in several initiatives under lTRS leadership. On implementation of National Population Register in the state, KTR said the Government would take an appropriate decision on that. Rama Rao, also minister for IT and Industries said the proposed Pharma City would be launched this year.

About 10,000 acres of land has been acquired and another 2,000 would be bought. "Environmental Clearance (EC) was also granted. No hurdles for the project... NIMZ (National Investment and Manufacturing Zone) status was also accorded (by the centre), he said. The Minister said the state has received a report from E&Y on setting up dry ports and the Government was working out a strategy.