The national executive of BJP on Sunday expressed deep concern over severe deterioration in economic, social and human development in Telangana. “This degeneration over the last eight years was unparalleled and the responsibility lies squarely with the State government,” a statement released by the executive said.
It was introduced by national vice-president D.K. Aruna and discussed later by Union Minister of State for Tourism G. Kishan Reddy and others.
The BJP offered a viable alternative to the TRS rule that truly realised the aspirations of the people by defeating the dynastic and corrupt government.
The statement recalled that “neellu, nidhulu, niyamakalu” (water, funds and filling employment vacancies) was the backbone of the movement for separate Statehood but the people of the State felt betrayed after eight years. Paradoxically, those very people who reaped political benefit using the name of Telangana stood in the forefront in perpetrating a fraud on the people.
Education sector
Listing out several failures of TRS government which rendered the position of the State worse, the BJP referred to the “sham” announcement initially by the party in its 2014 election manifesto promising one lakh jobs. Then 70 % of faculty positions in universities whose role in formation of the State was crucial remained vacant. The state of school education was even worse with no recruitment of teachers.
The hospitals in Telangana were in a pathetic condition. Telangana was a rich State with a revenue surplus of ₹369 crore in 2014 but now it had a deficit of ₹16,500 crore. Its liabilities increased four times to about ₹3.20 lakh crore. The cost of Kaleshwaram project escalated from ₹40,000 crore to ₹1.30 lakh crore.
There was a brazen and blatant attempt to perpetuate a dynasty. The misuse of power by the son of the Chief Minister and the family members spoke for itself. Governance was centred around the family which obviously led to rampant corruption and accumulation of illicit wealth.
Unbridled nepotism
What was seen in Telangana was sheer despotism, unbridled nepotism and brazen arrogance. The police was misused to foist false cases on Opposition parties. It took more than two-and-a-half years for Telangana government to notify reservations for economically weaker sections after the Union government took a policy decision to implement 10% reservations.
The statement promised Narendra Modi’s government to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the people to develop the State. The love, affection and trust of the people in favour of Modi was the main factor for the BJP’s electoral victories since 2019 Parliament elections. The success of the yatra by BJP State president Bandi Sanjay Kumar upset the Chief Minister who had now become insecure and superstitious. His language was “cheap, offensive and obnoxious” unbecoming of a Chief Minister.
His frustration and that of his Cabinet colleagues clearly reflected the fact that the BJP was growing stronger in the State. Only a double engine government will lend meaning to people’s struggles.
