Oppn needling TRS as they cannot digest its popularity: Rao

Hitting out at the Congress, BJP, and TDP, TRS president and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao today alleged the opposition parties are criticising his government on various issues as they could not digest its growing popularity.

Referring to the comments made by some BJP leaders on a survey, conducted at the behest of TRS that predicted 111 assembly seats out of total 119 seats for his party, Rao asked whether the survey that showed the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also "bogus".

"The survey says that TRS would win 111 seats. At the same time, BJP leaders said Narendra Modi had 39 per cent (support) in the country and that it rose to 46 per cent. (BJP leader) Bandaru Dattatreya says your (TRS) survey is bogus. If our survey is bogus, your survey should also be bogus," he said.

"Surveys are not bogus. Our minds are bogus. The truth is, we are not able to digest the reality," the chief minister said.

Talking about the Congress' challenge that TRS should make the opposition MLAs who defected to its side resign and seek fresh mandate if the ruling party is confident of its popularity, the TRS president said the Congress MLAs should quit their posts if they are so confident of public support.

TRS leaders had quit their posts many times to fight for separate Telangana state, he said.

Accusing the Congress of trying to create obstacles in the construction of irrigation projects, he claimed that the main opposition party had knocked the doors of courts four times to obtain a stay on the works of Kaleswaram project.

"In 15-16 days, Congress party worked hard and in this summer heat, in the month of May, it had gone to courts four times. For what? To stall the works of Kaleswaram project by obtaining a stay," he said.

Rao was speaking at an event in TRS office here where a senior TDP leader and former MP Ramesh Rathod and others joined the ruling party.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu expressed confidence that his party would win in Telangana but there is no place for TDP in Telangana, Rao said.

Naidu had "cheated" farmers and women of self-help groups by not implementing the loan waiver, he claimed.

Meanwhile, opposition leader in the Telangana Legislative Assembly K Jana Reddy said the government should focus on administration and not talk about surveys as elections are two years away.

(This article has not been edited by DNA's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)