Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Wednesday vowed to thwart any attempt by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to establish a political base in Telangana, asserting that the Congress, under Sonia Gandhi’s leadership, would not permit the saffron party to gain a foothold in the southern state.
“From the land of Vallabhbhai Patel, I am saying only one thing. Under the leadership of Sonia Gandhi, we will not let the BJP enter Telangana. We will stop them,” Reddy declared while addressing an All India Congress Committee (AICC) meeting in Ahmedabad.
Reddy, who became Chief Minister following Congress's victory in the 2023 Telangana Assembly elections, made a fervent appeal to party workers and Gandhi supporters nationwide to unite in their mission to defeat the BJP in the forthcoming general elections.
“With a strong resolve from here, we are going to defeat the BJP in Telangana. I am appealing to every Congress worker and Gandhi follower to take the responsibility of defeating the BJP in the coming days from here. All of us should defeat Godse's descendants and Modi,” he said.
Emphasising historical links between Telangana and Gujarat, Reddy said: “Standing in the land of Gujarat, I resolved to stop the BJP from entering Telangana. The Telangana region was liberated from Nizam's rule under the leadership of former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and former Union Home Minister Vallabhbhai Patel. It is the reason Telangana people maintain a relationship with the Gujarat people and the descendants of Vallabhbhai Patel.”
He credited Patel with liberating Telangana and Sonia Gandhi with granting it statehood. The Chief Minister underlined his government’s efforts in fulfilling Rahul Gandhi’s promises made during the Bharat Jodo Yatra.
“Rahul Gandhi embarked on Bharat Jodo Yatra covering 4,000 km from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, promising caste census, crop loan waiver, job creation for youth, and women's welfare. During his padayatra in Telangana, Rahul Gandhi also made the promise of caste census, waiver of farm loans, jobs, and women's welfare,” Reddy noted.
Highlighting the Congress’s governance record, Reddy said his administration had waived ₹21,000 crore in farm loans and undertaken a caste census, fulfilling key electoral pledges.
He also criticised the Narendra Modi-led Central government, alleging that the Prime Minister avoided discussions on caste census in Parliament.
“Modi government did not allow Rahul Gandhi to speak in the Lok Sabha, fearing our Congress leader will raise the issue of caste census in the House,” Reddy remarked.
Reddy further accused the Prime Minister of failing to deliver on his 2014 campaign promise of creating two crore jobs annually.
“Prime Minister Modi promised to create 2 crore jobs every year. Eleven years have passed, and the Centre should have provided more than 20 crore jobs by now. Modi and Amit Shah have only got the jobs, and 2 crore youth become jobless every year,” he said.
The Telangana Chief Minister’s fiery address appears to have set the tone for the Congress campaign in the state, as the party gears up for a direct electoral confrontation with the BJP in the months ahead.
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