Hitting back at the Congress and BJP and for calling the BRS a B-team of their respective opponents, BRS president and Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao stated that the BRS was not anyone’s B-team but the A-team of farmers, women, minorities, Dalits and the downtrodden.
Later, making a grand show of strength in Maharashtra, Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao took the darshan of Lord Vitthal at Pandharpur and Goddess Tulja Bhavani at Tuljapur on Tuesday. However, his visit came in for sharp criticism from the ruling as well as opposition parties in Maharashtra, who asked him to look after his own state.
The CM visited the holy towns in a convoy of over 300 SUVs. Rao was accompanied by his Cabinet ministers, 103 MLAs, seven MPs and over 30 MLC.
Addressing a public meeting in Sarkoli in Maharashtra on Tuesday, Rao said the BRS was not confined to Telangana and Maharashtra, but was a national party working for the people of the country.
He said the BRS was the only party that came up with the slogan ‘Ab ki bar kisan sarkar,' and asked why no other party had come up with the slogan in the last seven decades.
The CM lashed out at the parties in Maharashtra who were questioning the BRS foray into the state. "It's just four months since we entered Maharashtra. Both the BJP and the Congress are calling us the B team of their respective opponents. We are a small party. Why do these parties feel so frustrated and jittery? This shows they fear the response the BRS is receiving from the people in Maharashtra in such a short span," Rao said.
Rao reiterated that he was ready to drop Maharashtra from his plans, if the incumbent government declared that it would implement "Telangana model" of welfare schemes and development programmes.
"When I addressed the first public meeting in Maharashtra in February this year, the Maharashtra government announced `6,000 financial aid to farmers per year on the lines of Rythu Bandhu. Why was it not implemented before," Rao asked.
The CM dismissed the argument of a few Maharashtra leaders that implementing schemes similar to Telangana would lead to bankruptcy. "They say Maharashtra will become bankrupt (diwala niklega). Yes, I agree. But parties and leaders in Maharashtra will become bankrupt (diwala) and people will celebrate Diwali," he remarked amid applause.
Rao urged the people to give one opportunity to the BRS so that it could implement Telangana model of welfare schemes and development programmes.
Leaders from various parties in Maharashtra joined BRS in the presence of CM including former NCP MP Bhagirath Bhalke. Earlier the CM offered special prayers at the Vitthal Rukmini temple in Pandharpur.
After the public meeting, the CM visited Tuljapur Bhavani temple and offered prayers before returning to Hyderabad on Tuesday night concluding his two-day visit to Maharashtra.
In Pandharpur, Rao and a few accompanying him got VIP darshan while the others got ‘mukh darshan’. The entire route was decked up with the pink BRS flags. The BRS supporters had planned to shower petals on warkaris, devotees of Lord Vitthal at Pandharpur, from a helicopter but were denied permission.
Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde has hit out at rao, saying the latter should look after his own party and the state. "We are capable of taking care of Maharashtra," he said.
Saying that he was not worried about the BRS chief, Shinde said there is no need to take note of his Maharashtra visit. "We have worked for all sections of people in Maharashtra, so we have no concerns about him. We are capable of taking care of Maharashtra. But KCR should look after his own party and state. He should make a show of strength in Telangana," he added.
Senior Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut accused Rao of acting as the ‘B team of BJP’ and stated that BRS’ attempts to expand into Maharashtra would have no effect on the state’s politics.
Raut criticised Rao's actions, suggesting that his visit to Maharashtra was driven by fear of losing support in Telangana. He stated that his tactics could cost him politically in his home state.
Raut maintained that the Maha Vikas Aghadi, the ruling coalition in Maharashtra comprising Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party, and Congress, remained strong and resilient.
When asked about Rao’s trip, NCP chief Sharad Pawar said, "The impact of his (KCR’s) trip remains to be seen," without elaborating further.
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