Amit Shah Kicks Off Telangana Campaign With Attack on KCR's Superstitions and 'Vote Bank Politics'

Hyderabad: Kicking off BJP's election campaign in Telangana, party president Amit Shah on Saturday launched a scathing attack on K Chandrashekar Rao, accusing the chief minister of indulging in politics of appeasement.

Addressing a press conference in the state capital, Shah accused KCR's Telangana Rashtra Samithi of "working at the behest of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) and Left parties". He said that if the party comes to power yet again, it will continue to play vote bank politics.

"Is it not appeasement politics to propose 12% reservation for minority? They know that our Constitution does not allow reservation based on religion. If the same government comes back to power, vote bank politics will continue in the state," the BJP president said.

He further questioned KCR on his stand of 'one nation, one poll' and said that the party, which supported the plan initially, has unfortunately gone ahead to disrupt it and dissolve the Assembly.

"He has forced a small state to bear the expense of two polls (Assembly and Lok Sabha). Rao did not live up to the tall promises," Shah said, while hitting out at the CM for 'imposing colossal expenditure on the common man and believing in superstitions'.

The BJP chief further said that the party will fight elections on all seats in Telangana and emerge as a strong and decisive force in the state.

Shah arrived in Telangana on a day-long visit on Saturday morning, and is scheduled to give directions to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s state leaders on poll strategy and election manifesto.

According to BJP's Telangana unit President K Laxman, the BJP president will conduct meetings with various groups. He will also visit a temple in the old city of Hyderabad. The BJP chief will review the party's preparations for the coming elections at a meeting with top leaders. He will issue necessary guidelines to them to gear up for the poll battle.

Shah will later proceed to Mahabubnagar to address the public meeting to formally kick off the party's election campaign. Laxman said Shah will visit Telangana again after 10 days to address a public meeting in Karimnagar.

Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao on September 6 dissolved the state Assembly to pave way for early elections. The BJP had five members in the dissolved 119-member Assembly.