Telangana MLC polls: Parties milk Kazipet wagon factory issue to woo voters
By Newsmeter Network Published on 6 March 2021 7:30 AM GMT
Warangal: The Centre's decision not to set up a railway wagon factory in Kazipet has become a major election issue in Nalgonda and Warangal. Political parties contesting Nalgonda-Warangal-Khammam graduates' constituency of Legislative Council are using the issue to pin down their opponents.
Leading the charge is the Telangana state government. Government's Chief Whip Dasyam Vinay Bhaskar said the Railway coach factory is the constitutional right of Telangana.
It maybe noted that the Ministry of Railways in an RTI reply said that there was no need to set up a coach factory in Telangana. Vinay Bhaskar criticized the Centre for backtracking on the promise made while passing AP Reorganization Act-2014.
He appealed to all party leaders to unite and exert pressure on the Centre. "Railway coach factory in Kazipet is one of the demands of the people. Such a huge factory can provide employment to thousands of locals," Vinay said.
Jayasaradhi Reddy, the candidate supported by the left parties, is also using the issue to mobilize voters. He staged a sit-in in front of the Kazipet railway station. He said both TRS and BJP are staging a drama to hoodwink the people.
BJP senior leader and former MP Garikapati Ram Mohan Rao said the coach factory meant for Kazipet has been shifted to Kapurthala of Punjab in 1984 under the Congress government.
He said TRS leaders are unnecessarily blaming the BJP government. He said the coach factory was shifted from Warangal thrice under the Congress rule, but the TRS leaders remained silent. "Why did not TRS leaders raise the issue in the last seven years?" he asked. "Since the BJP is gaining an upper hand in the elections, they are trying to tarnish our image".
He said the central government cannot set up factories and institutions wherever it pleases. "The state has to provide land and work in coordination with the centre. These are like welfare schemes which are shared by the state and central governments," he said.
