KCR did nothing with 16 MPs on his side: Uttam Kumar Reddy

After 9 of its total 19 MLAs defected, the Congress party has fielded its best guns in the Lok Sabha polls. TPCC president N Uttam Kumar Reddy, spoke to Roushan Ali about the prospects of the Congress against the formidable TRS and the BJP. Excerpts:

Why do you think the people of Telangana would change their opinion in favour of the Congress in just three months after giving their mandate overwhelmingly to the TRS in the Assembly polls?

Chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao enacts a new drama before every election. After five years of understanding with the Narendra Modi-led BJP during which the TRS supported BJP’s President, vice-president, Rajya Sabha deputy chairperson candidates, demonetisation, GST and no-confidence motion, KCR is now trying to criticise Modi and BJP just for the sake of minority votes. The people of Telangana have seen through the dramas of KCR and Modi. They are eager to vote for the Congress to make Rahul Gandhi the Prime Minister and protect this country from communal and divisive forces. People vote for different issues in Lok Sabha as compared to Assembly election.


If the pro-poor schemes saw the TRS winning the hearts of voters, the BJP is banking on Modi-charisma and his five-year progressive rule. What has the Congress to offer to the people?

Rahul Gandhi has announced minimum income gurantee scheme for every poor in the country, MSP to farmers and numerous other welfare measures for every section of society in India. In Telangana, the Congress is promising to give 10% reservation to the STs and 12% to the Muslims, if voters give us majority of the Lok Sabha seats in Telangana.

KCR too promised it but has failed to achieve. He said he would create an earthquake in Delhi if Modi does not agree to enhancement of quota to the two sections. The Congress will do it on the lines of Modi-led government giving 10% quota to EBCs.

Both CM KCR and TRS working president KT Rama Rao have appealed to the voters to give 16 of the total 17 seats so that TRS can dictate terms to the government at the Centre. They said Congress leaders from Telangana will do ghulamgiri (slavery) to Delhi bosses, if voted. What is your take on that?

KCR is again trying to fool the people of Telangana. TRS had 16 MPs on its side from 2014 to 2019 in the form of 11 elected TRS MPs, three MPs from Congress, YSRCP and TDP defecting to it, an MP of MIM, and one from BJP, its secret ally at Delhi. Despite having 16 MPs, KCR and his MPs failed to achieve national status to any of the irrigation projects and other benefits promised to Telangana in the State Reorganisation Act. So, it makes no difference whether TRS gets one or 10 MPs. But the Congress promise to the people of Telangana is that it will get national status to one major irrigation project in Telangana which would ensure that 90% of its cost would be funded by the Centre, get a tribal university, Kazipet rail coach factory, Bayyaram steel plant and other benefits promised in the State Reorganisation Act.

TRS failed on all these fronts.

Even if Congress is voted to power at the Centre, why would it help the state where TRS is ruling?

Having created the new state, the Nehru-Gandhi family has a special affection for the people of Telangana.

We are sure that we will get justice to Telangana than what was achieved from 2014 to 2019 by the TRS and NDA governments.