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In an exclusive interview with News Arena India, Union Minister for DoNER G. Kishan Reddy shares his experiences, and assessment for the Telangana assembly elections.G. Kishan Reddy is an Indian politician presently holding the position of Minister of Tourism, Culture, and Development of the North Eastern Region of India.

 

He joined the BJP in 1980 and since 2019, he has been representing the Secunderabad Lok Sabha constituency. He previously served as the BJP floor leader in the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly. Kishan Reddy relinquishedthis role upon being elected as the state BJP president of the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh.

 

He also served as the first state president of the Telangana BJP from 2014 to 2016 and was reappointed as Telangana BJP president this year.  In an exclusive interview with News Arena India, Mr. Reddy shares his experiences, and assessment for the Telangana assembly elections.

 

 

What is the difference between working in Delhi and Hyderabad? 

 

Working in Delhi and Hyderabad involves different dimensions of responsibility for me. In Delhi, my focus is primarily on the Ministry. This entails strategic planning, policy formulation, execution of key initiatives and the overall development of the northeast region on a national scale. On the other hand, my responsibilities in Hyderabad extend beyond the ministry to include constituency-specific concerns and party-related work.

 

Hyderabad demands a grassroots approach, involving direct interaction with the people and addressing their immediate concerns. Being the state president, I am also actively engaged in strengthening the BJP by addressing the needs and issues of the state, ensuring social justice and economic welfare for all.

 

Both roles are integral to my commitment to public service, with each location presenting unique challenges and opportunities for making a positive impact.

 

 

How do you manage to juggle your time in the dual responsibility of a union minister and a state party president?

 

Handling dual responsibilities as a Union Minister and a State Party President, especially during election season requires careful planning and collaboration. It is a challenging but fulfilling task, requiring meticulous scheduling and prioritisation. The Prime Minister is an inspiration when it comes to hard work, diligence and time management. He has not taken a single day off since assuming office and spends every minute trying to ensure development for all.

 

 

What are the issues on which you will seek votes for your party?

 

Our party will primarily focus on bringing to light the corrupt and despotic regime of the incumbent BRS government led by an insensitive and arrogant Chief Minister in the form of K. Chandrasekhara Rao. 

 

The BJP is known for its development agenda and is known to deliver on the promises it makes to the people.  This time we have promised to deliver on social justice channelising the voice of 52% of the population and promised a Chief Minister from the Backward classes who will ensure development for all based on the Modi Mantra of Sab Ka Saath. We will focus on delivering development and good governance with a focus on zero tolerance to corruption, farmer welfare, Youth and employment, Women-led development, and focus on Human Development through Education and Health.

 

 

How many seats do you believe BJP will win in Telangana?

 

We believe we have the blessings of the people of  to vote out this corrupt and incompetent regime.

 

 

The BJP’s performance will surprise everybody. Is the Telangana BJP Unit relying completely on Modi Magic?

 

Prime Minister Modi’s appeal is universal and he has very high credibility amongst the Telangana voters. He is respected and admired by a cross-section of society in the state. Our attempt will be to capitalise on the Prime Minister’s image of good governance and zero tolerance to corruption. At the same time, the BJP Telangana Unit will connect with the voters through an array of local leaders and exhibit collective leadership as we take forward our agenda and commitment to the welfare of the people of Telangana.

 

 

You are the only BJP MP out of 4 who is not going to contest state assembly elections, even though in the past you represented the constituency. Why is it so? 

 

Contesting the MLA elections is not a unilateral decision that is made by me but a combined decision made by the state level leadership and national level leadership. The party in its wisdom has decided that the best thing for me would be to act as an enabler across the state in maximising our support from across all sections of society.

 

There is a perception that BJP is going slow on the alleged corruption of KCR family. Congress has termed BRS as the “B” team of BJP. What would you like to say on this?

 

BJP is committed to addressing concerns about governance and the alleged issues surrounding the KCR family. Law enforcement institutions are no longer “caged parrots” as was the case prior to 2014 and hence will conduct comprehensive, independent investigations and make necessary arrests and apprehend the accused at a time and place of their choosing. No political party or Government has a say in this matter. Smt. Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are also currently out on bail in the ongoing investigation of the Associated Journals-National Herald case. Any arrests and the timing of such action is the prerogative of the law enforcement agencies based on the progress and outcomes of the investigation. These very principles apply to other ongoing cases as well irrespective of the nature, status and affiliations of the accused as investigations will be done impartially without fear or favour.

 

 

If the Congress contention is that only an arrest in an ongoing investigation will prove BJP not being a B-Team, then will Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi need to be arrested in the National Herald case? 

 

Therefore, we refute claims of being the "B" team made by Congress on the and emphasise our independent stance. In the past we have seen Congress and BRS exchanging MLAs, keeping business relations. That’s why we say a Vote for Congress is a Seat for BRS. BJP says there has been a longstanding alliance between Congress and BRS.

 

 

Could you share your perspective on how this alliance is there in spite of them accusing each other these days? 

 

BRS and Congress are two sides of the same coin.The two parties have a secret understanding from the beginning. Since 2004, the Congress and BRS have been close allies. When the Congress-led UPA formed the Government under Sonia Gandhi, K. Chandra Shekar Rao was a Union Minister in the Council. In 2014, the BRS was to merge into Congress. KCR came to Delhi along with his family and met Sonia Gandhi, touched her feet, and sought her blessing.

 

Owing to Shri Narendra Modi’s popularity and the fear of anti-incumbency that the Congress was facing, they strategically decided to contest separately. In 2014, 8 MLAs after winning the Congress party symbol switched over to the BRS. 

 

In 2018, 12 MLAs of the Congress party joined the BRS party after winning on a Congress ticket. Some of them have been appointed as Ministers in the KCR cabinet. The Congress Party in the Legislative Council merged with the BRS.  Apart from this, there are numerous occurrences in which these corrupt and nepotistic parties not only shared MLAs but also maintained business relationships with one another.

 

The BRS recently gave 10 acres of Prime Property land to the Congress Party at Bowenpally, for a paltry sum of 2 Lakh rupees. Additionally, during the recent monsoon session of parliament, the Congress and BRS voted in agreement in support of the No Confidence Motion in the Lok Sabha.

 

In the recent President election, in spite of having a historical opportunity to elect an accomplished woman tribal President Smt Draupadi Murmu, BRS sided with Congress candidate and BRS led the campaign in Telangana. BRS, along with the Congress, voted against the "Government of Delhi Services Bill" despite knowing that the Government of India has the authority to formulate laws in Delhi, whereas other non-NDA regional parties backed the BJP in the national interest. Recently, the son of KCR has stated that he will be a part of a coalition government in their attempt to defeat the BJP. 

 

This anti-BJP platform that was talked about was also repeated by party members in both the Congress and BRS. Intelligence agencies believe that Telangana in general and Hyderabad in particular provide shelter to a lot of Pakistan-backed terrorists.

 

 

As a former Union Minister of State for Home, what do you have to say on this? 

 

The Prime Minister has adopted a zero-tolerance policy towards terrorism. We have strengthened anti-terror laws, shared terrorism-related inputs with state governments irrespective of the party ruling in a state, strengthened anti-terror investigation agencies and increased conviction rate in such crimes. When BJP assumes office we will create an Anti-Radicalisation Cell to identify and eliminate potential threats, and sleeper cells of terrorist organisations and anti-India forces.

 

We will ensure that all Rohingyas and illegal immigrants will be deported in a time-bound manner. Further, the loopholes in the process of availing Aadhar cards and passports will be plugged so that misuse is curtailed.

 

 

The AIMIM is limited to just the old city of Hyderabad, why do you need to focus your attacks on AIMIM despite it being a party with just 7 seats in Hyderabad?

 

 AIMIM’s influence must not be looked at with just the number of seats but the ideological influence it has over its allies - the BRS and the Congress. These 3 parties have the same DNA that flows through them and can be seen in the 4Ds of - Dynasty, Despotism, Duplicity and Deception. It is at the behest of their ideological mentor AIMIM that the BRS and INC indulge in minority appeasement politics and the MIM is the one that has forged the underlying INC-BRS alliance.

 

 

Till December last year, the BJP was the main challenger to BRS but suddenly it collapsed. Why did this happen? 

 

BJP is still the main and only challenger to BRS. It is the BRS that wants to prop up the Congress so that it can divide the anti-incumbency vote that the BJP is getting. This is the secret understanding that the BRS and Congress have. The BJP remains resilient, adapting to changing circumstances. We will continue to work towards strengthening our position in Telangana. The first two BJP MPs won from Gujarat & Hanamkonda (then Andhra Pradesh).

 

 

What went wrong that BJP became a marginal player with just four assembly seats in Telangana while it went on to become the strongest party in Gujarat for the3 decades last ? 

 

In Gujarat, the BJP was able to offer a compelling alternative to the Congress, and the work and development agenda of Prime Minister Modi as the then Chief Minister of the state further cemented the BJP’s position. In Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, the anti-Congress space was effectively captured by the regional parties. We however, see an opportunity to address this with the tangible work that the Government of India has done in Telangana under Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s leadership - from the doubling of Highways in Telangana from 2,500 km to 5,000 km in 9 years, the largest free foodgrain program in the world that is benefiting the poor in Telangana, the COVID-19 relief provided from free vaccines to immediate relief in the form of DBT, the steps taken for welfare for farmers, women-led development initiatives and the focus on antyodaya.

 

 

What will be the likely impact of the INDI Alliance on BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections? 

 

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has correctly called the alliance a Ghamandiya Alliance and we are confident that the people will be able to see through this alliance of convenience. The BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections will showcase the good work that has been accomplished over the last 9 years and impress upon the electorate that a stable and secure government under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi is the need of the hour if India needs to become a Viswaguru.  Today, India is an aspirational country and the people of the country only trust Narendra Modi to take India forward.