People of Raichur demanding merger with Telangana, says CM K Chandrasekhar Rao

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao claimed that people in Karnataka's Raichur district are demanding that their area be merged into Telangana, attracted by the TRS government's welfare schemes.

Rao on Tuesday inaugurated the new collectorate complex at Vikarabad, a new district in southwest Telangana formed in 2016 after the TRS came to power in the new state created in 2014.

Addressing a public rally on the occasion, Rao raised the poll pitch asking the Telangana voters to choose wisely, “and not be deceived by the BJP flags". The state is preparing for another bypoll in Munugode in West Telangana where sitting Congress MLA Rajagopal Reddy resigned and is likely to contest from the BJP side.

“You are close to Tandur, a border area with good connections with Karnataka. Some border area people in Raichur had demanded that they be merged with Telangana or provided the same kind of welfare programmes in Karnataka as implemented in our state,” Rao said while mentioning his initiatives like Mission Bhagiratha for free drinking water, KCR kits for pregnant-lactating mothers, free power, annual farm incentive of Rs 10,000 per acre.

KCR made such claims earlier too, also mentioning some border areas of Maharashtra like Nanded

Calling upon the voters to think wisely, Rao stoked the Telangana sentiment yet again stating that the region which suffered under a united AP has begun to prosper after the new state came into existence.

Reminiscing the statehood struggle days and the hurdles, and challenges faced by united Andhra proponents, the TRS chief even reminded his “fast unto death” in 2009.

“No other state has our schemes. Earlier farmers used to operate auto-rickshaws in cities, but now the countryside is prospering. An acre of land in Telangana is worth three acres in neighboring states,” KCR said.

KCR described Prime Minister Narendra Modi as having become an enemy to Telangana while demanding more Krishna water share for the state.

“Show me a single good work by BJP in the last eight years. And they are critical of our welfare schemes calling them freebies,” the CM said.

KCR said that it is “not enough to have a good government in the state.” “Look at the unemployment in the country, value of our rupee. The BJP government operates only to benefit the big businessmen. We have to send them home and get a good government.”