Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao reveals national ambitions

Hyderabad: Observing that he has embarked on an endeavour by playing a role in national politics towards making India great, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Monday urged people to continue to bless him.

Instead of the US remaining a destination for youth and others in the country, India has the wealth, resources and youth power to emerge as a destination for foreign countries, he said.

"Like how we have improved Telangana, similarly we should play a prominent role in India's (national) politics. Definitely, we should move forward to make this country greater than even the US," he said.

"So, I have embarked on an endeavour (or struggle). So, your blessings should continue to be the same. Like how we made a 'golden Telangana', I submit that we will make a golden India," he said.

He was addressing a public meeting after laying the foundation stone for Sangameshwara and Basaveshwara lift irrigation projects at Narayankhed in Sangareddy district.

"You are all recently watching on TV and reading in newspapers that I am speaking and working in national politics. Shall we go into national politics? Shall we fight up to Delhi? Shall we make India better?" he said addressing the meeting.

Highlighting the various welfare schemes being implemented by his government like 'Rythu Bandhu' investment support scheme for farmers and 'Rythu Bheema' life insurance scheme for ryots, Rao said Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had enquired about the schemes during a meeting with him in Mumbai on Sunday.

Maharashtra's farmers living in areas bordering Telangana were seeking implementation of schemes like 'Rythu Bandhu' in their state, he said.

Saying that Telangana is witnessing massive development in various sectors, Rao said the country should also be in a good situation for the development to continue unhindered.

Claiming that the country is not how it should be after 75 years of independence, he alleged there was a 'wicked practice' of taking political mileage by fomenting trouble between different religions and castes.

He asserted that a congenial atmosphere is essential for industries to grow and to realise employment generation.

The Chief Minister urged those who attended the public meeting to debate at home as to what type of Telangana is desirable. People of all sections, castes and religions should live happily, he said.

The Sangameshwara and Basaveshwara lift irrigation projects, to be built at a cost of Rs 4,427 crore, would provide irrigation facility to 3.84 lakh acres of land in Andhole, Narayankhed, Sangareddy and Zaheerabad constituencies in Sangareddy district, an official release said.

Amid buzz about forging a third front, Rao on Sunday met his Maharashtra counterpart Uddhav Thackeray, who heads Shiv Sena, and NCP president Sharad Pawar separately as part of efforts to bring together like-minded parties against the BJP at the national level.

While Rao and Thackeray agreed for the need to bring a change, Pawar stressed the need for all like-minded parties to join hands and resolve various issues like unemployment and the agrarian crisis and said they will meet again.

The Telangana CM, who has been critical of the BJP and the Centre on a number of issues, had said he will hold meetings with his Maharashtra and West Bengal counterparts as part of efforts to unite various political parties against the BJP and the NDA government. (PTI)