Not disappointed, will campaign for Kishan: Bandaru Dattatreya

HYDERABAD: Extending full support to Secunderabad BJP candidate G Kishan Reddy, former Union minister and Secunderabad sitting MP Bandaru Dattatreya on Friday dismissed rumours that he was quitting the party. He said he would campaign for Kishan Reddy and other candidates in the state and hoped that the BJP would retain the Secunderabad seat.Addressing a press conference here, Dattatreya said he first contested elections in 1984 from Secunderabad and since then the party has given him opportunities as an MP, Union minister and other posts like national vice-president and general secretary apart from being the state party president. “I am not disappointed over denial of ticket in this election. My blessing are always with Kishan Reddy,” the sitting Secunderabad MP said.Claiming that the BJP would bag majority Lok Sabha seats in Telangana, he said both TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao and his son KT Rama Rao are dreaming of winning 16 LS seats but there dream will never come true. The Secunderabad MP said the BJP is a national party, while the TRS is a regional party. “BJP’s agenda is development, while other parties do no have any agenda. KCR thinks Hindutva means only conducting y agam, but the BJP thinks it relates to nationalism and patriotism. It is part of our culture and heritage,” he said.Dattatreya said it is ridiculous that on one hand the TRS president talks about Hindutva and on the other hand continues his friendship and understanding with All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), the party which had insulted Hindu idols and even attacked Hindus at various places in the state.The former Union minister asserted that the Centre had allocated funds to Telangana in the past five years which comes up to ₹2.25 lakh crore. He also listed out some of the schemes being implemented in the state. “Under MNREGA, the state got ₹11,000 crore and about 63 lakh Jan Dhan accounts were opened in the state,” he said.