Photo Gallery: Rahul Gandhi addresses rally in Telangana ahead of assembly elections 2018

Calling the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) the "B-team" of Sangh Pariwar, Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday accused it of helping the Modi government to prevent the Congress from ousting the BJP at the Centre. Gandhi accused the Telangana government led by K. Chandrashekar Rao of failing to keep its promises and appealed to the people to vote for the Congress, claiming that only his party can ensure development in the state. "When we were fighting over land acquisition bill in Parliament, TRS was helping BJP. TRS helped RSS and Modi in every bill. TRS is not Telangana Rashtra Samithi, it is Telangana Rashtra Sanghpariwar. It is the `B-team` of Sangh Pariwar. TRS` aim is that Congress should not oust the BJP at the national level," Gandhi told a public rally organised by the four-party People`s Front led by Congress.  

Rahul said whatever Prime Minister Narendra Modi did against Dalits, tribals and minorities in the country, it would not have been possible without the support of KCR. Gandhi said that when Telangana state was formed, it had Rs 17,000 crore surplus budget but in four years TRS had put a burden of Rs 2 lakh crore debt on the state. "Every family in the state has a debt of Rs 2 lakh and every citizen has a debt of 60,000 but in these four years KCR`s income has gone up by 400 percent." Gandhi accused the KCR-led government of giving employment to his family members while failing to give jobs to crore of unemployed youths.

"How many people got employment in the last four years of KCR? He only gave employment to four people of his family who snatched the employment of four crore people in the state. What did he do for the women who are the backbone of the state?" He said that after coming to power in the state, the People`s Front will provide a grant of Rs 1 lakh to every women self-help group. Women entrepreneurs will be provided Rs 500 crore bank loans, Congress president Rahul Gandhi said at a rally.

"KCR promised to provide 22 lakh double bedroom houses. But the reality is only 5,000 houses have been built. He promised land to SC/ST which has turned out to be a hollow promise." If the Congress came to power, Gandhi said people would get land and houses. "Our Chief Minister will give youths employment or Rs 3,000 allowance. In the first year, our government will give employment to 1 lakh youths in private and government sectors."  

Rahul Gandhi assured people free medical treatment up to Rs 5 lakh and said a 30-bed hospital would be set up in each "Mandal". The state is set for Assembly polls on December 7. He alleged that the projects started by Congress were redesigned by KCR. He cited the example of Pranahita Chevella project, whose name was changed to Kaleswaram and its cost revised from Rs 50,000 crore to Rs 90,000 crore. (Image Courtesy: IANS)  

Rahul Gandhi said the People`s Front government would fulfill the dream of `water, funds and jobs` which people of Telangana had desired at the time of formation of the state. The Congress President said they would defeat KCR in Telangana and Modi in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. He exuded confidence that the BJP will be defeated in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh too. (Image Courtesy: IANS)