VP election: BRS to support alliance which assures urea supply to Telangana

Hyderabad, Aug 20 (IANS) Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Working President K.T. Rama Rao linked the polls to the post of Vice-President of India to urea shortage in Telangana and said the BRS will support the alliance that assures supply of 2 lakh tonnes of the fertilizer to the state.

Voicing concern over the problems faced by Telangana farmers due to urea shortage and holding the state government responsible for the situation, he told media persons on Wednesday that the BRS will support the formation which can ensure supply of urea to meet the requirements of farmers.

“We have four votes (in Rajya Sabha). We will support the alliance which makes a categorical statement for supply of urea,” he said.

Stating that the BRS was not aligned with the NDA or INDIA Bloc, he said that the BRS is an independent party.

“We are an independent party. We have no bosses in Delhi. The people of Telangana are our only bosses,” he said.

K.T. Rama Rao said neither the NDA nor the INDIA Bloc approached the BRS for support in the polls for the VP's post.

“No alliance has approached us yet. But our decision will be taken solely in the interest of Telangana farmers,” he said.

K.T. Rama Rao stated that he finds no difference between the Congress and BJP as both have done nothing for Telangana.

“With eight Congress MPs and eight BJP MPs, Telangana has gained nothing. 8+8 has only meant zero benefit for our state,” he claimed.

The BRS leader also accused the Congress of hypocrisy on social justice, pointing out that despite claiming affection for BCs, the party had not nominated a BC leader for the Vice-Presidential polls.

“If they were serious, they could have fielded intellectuals like Kancha Ilaiah or any eminent BC leader,” he remarked.

K.T. Rama Rao said his party would take a decision on the vice-presidential election after a discussion with MPs, MLAs, MLCs and other leaders.

“If the Congress CM nominates a candidate, we will oppose without hesitation,” he said when asked about reports that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy may be behind the choice of former Supreme Court judge B. Sudershan Reddy as the INDIA Bloc candidate.

He launched a scathing attack on the state government, holding it responsible for the unprecedented urea crisis in Telangana.

He described the shortage as an “artificial scarcity created by the Congress' misrule” and demanded immediate corrective measures.

He claimed that fertilizer stocks were being diverted and sold in the black market by Congress leaders, while lakhs of farmers were forced to queue up for hours across the state.

“For the first time in Telangana’s history, women farmers are spending nights outside depots, farmers are leaving shoes and Aadhaar cards in queues to save their place, and in some cases even facing police cases for demanding fertiliser. This humiliation never happened in KCR’s 10-year rule,” he said.

The BRS leader demanded that the State government release a White Paper detailing the quantum of fertiliser supplied by the Centre, stock position in warehouses, actual distribution to farmers, and quantities diverted or missing. He also urged the Centre to order a comprehensive investigation and take strict action against those responsible.

He criticised Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi for remaining silent on the fertiliser crisis despite his 'Rythu Declaration' promises.

He alleged that Revanth Reddy’s government failed on every front —loan waiver, Rythu Bandhu, free power, procurement, bonus, crop insurance, and now fertilizer procurement.

“Over 600 farmers have already committed suicide under this regime. Revanth visited Delhi 51 times but could not bring even 51 bags of urea for Telangana,” he claimed.

Warning of an agitation if the crisis continues, he said BRS would soon announce a statewide protest programme from village to state level. “Farmers should not lose hope. BRS will fight until this crisis is resolved. We will not allow the Congress government to ruin Telangana’s farming progress,” he declared.

--IANS

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