As the election battle in Telangana has begun with the Telangana Rashtriya Samiti-led government dissolving the Assembly, the Election Commission of India on Friday, 7 September, informed that they would be sending a team of its officers to Telangana on 11 September.
The ECI, through a press release informed that the team would be led by Senior Deputy Election Commissioner Umesh Sinha., and will submit a report on the poll preparedness of the state after their visit.
After several speculations about early elections, the present caretaker Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao had dissolved the Assembly and set tone for the elections on Thursday. Besides dissolving the Assembly, he also announced nearly 105 candidates who would be contesting from the TRS party.
In the list, most of the sitting MLAs got tickets, while five of them were denied. KCR, who is the president of the TRS, is yet to announce candidates in 14 other constituencies.
After meeting the Governor ESL Narasimhan and giving his letter recommending dissolution, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao addressed a press meet and appealed to people to vote TRS back to power. Speaking to reporters, he said that the AIMIM would continue to be their ‘friendly’ party, and also rejected speculation of his party allying with the BJP.
KCR has already begun his election campaign, addressing the gathering at Huzurabad, Karimnagar district on Friday, where he talked about the uninterrupted power supply provided by his government.
Throwing a challenge to Congress party floor leader K Jana Reddy, KCR said, “Jana Reddy challenged me in the Assembly that if I achieve providing 24-hour uninterrupted power supply, he will join the TRS and campaign for us.”
“Jana Reddy, if you have any sincerity, I demand that you do that,” he said.
KCR further talked about the state’s growth under his regime and welfare schemes which he had introduced. Meanwhile, Congress leader DK Aruna on Friday warned KCR and his son KTR to mind their words. KCR had kicked up a storm by calling the Congress president Rahul Gandhi a buffoon, which was condemned by several Congress leaders.
(This story was first published on The News Minute and has been republished with permission.)
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