Telangana assembly election: KTR says TRS will win 90 seats, score hattrick

Amid political churnings, MAUD Minister K T Rama Rao said TRS will win 90 seats in the assembly election next year.

"Both BJP and Congress surveys are telling TRS is winning by a whisker. After two months, they will change and say we will win. Even after 8 years, even our opposition is agreeing that TRS is winning. We say we will win 90 seats, they say 60. Our survey says we are winning 90 seats," he said.

KTR said there will be rebels in every party and they are sorting it out internally. "When there is aspiration and strong leaders, it is very common to have rebels. If someone wants to leave, he or she can do it. Defections are very natural. Like CM said there is nothing unnatural. Whenever there are strong leaders, we have to accommodate them. Recently I went to Kollapur and met Krishna Rao. Later I met Srinivas Reddy and Thummala. It is important to take them along," he said.

He said to score a hat trick, everything should be considered and only the strongest contender will be given the ticket. "We will look at winning horses. Other parties will try to talk to our leaders. There are nothing permanent contracts or bonds. They (opposition) don't have leadership that's why they are roaming around our leaders," he said.

He said their opponents in Telangana are fragmented. "Sharmila, K A Paul, and others are our opponents. There are so many parties in Telangana. The opponent is changing at every step. BJP has no address in Nalgonda and Khammam. They don't have a candidate, not even a Mandal leader. Congress is facing the same situation. In Siddipet, TRS has a stronghold. Sharmila might claim Paleru. At other places, it can be KA Paul or Sharmila or Bandi Sanjay, or Revanth. If we look at history, once the state has been bifurcated, the strong parties have disappeared. RJD disappeared in Jharkhand, and TDP disappeared in Telangana. In a state which has been established on self-respect and self-governance, if someone comes and set up a party without thinking, people are not that unwise," he said

KTR predicted that Congress will lose three state elections. "Congress is going to face three major setbacks. They are going to lose elections in Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, and Karnataka. Will anyone be left in Congress after these losses?" he asked.

KTR invited Rahul Gandhi to visit his constituency and see how it has progressed. "It will be a nice academic tour. Revanth Reddy has no chance in Kodangal. Rahul Gandhi is out in Amethi. You can't win in your constituency. I challenge them and I request Congress leader Rahul to spend two days in Siricilla. Learn how to build a reservoir and Apparel Park. See how groundwater levels have increased. Do something in Amethi and try to win back people," he taunted the former Congress president.

On flood relief to Gujarat, he said PM gave advance relief of Rs 1000 crore. "We sent reports when Hyderabad suffered floods. We got normal SDRF and nothing out of the ordinary. No need to receive PM on a private visit. He came here on a private visit to scold us. He is purely the Prime minister of Gujarat and doesn't function or behave like the PM of India. Respect is earned not given," he said.