This is in response to a preposterous article written by a senior journalist Gali Nagaraja for ‘Money Control’ titled ‘A jailed Chandrababu Naidu may do more damage to KCR than an actively campaigning Naidu’. It is quite surprising that a reputed organization like ‘Money Control’ published an article filled with outrageous affirmations written by an author who seems to be more of a supporter of Nara Chandrababu Naidu than a journalist.
In the article, the author made some absurd claims that the Kamma community in Telangana was feeling marginal and it may prove detrimental to the electoral prospects of the BRS in the forthcoming Telangana Assembly elections. The author tried to establish that Nara Chandrababu Naidu, the former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh and TDP supremo who is currently in jail, is the father of the IT boom in Hyderabad and the architect of the Hitec City. The experienced writer conveniently ignored the fact that the foundation for Cyber Towers was laid before Naidu became the CM. Naidu was just present at the right place at the right time, nothing more or nothing less.
The writer inadvertently spoke some truths about him. He agreed that Naidu was a fervent anti-statehood proponent. We have to appreciate Gali Nagaraja for endorsing the feeling of every Telanaganite that Naidu lobbied against the formation of Telangana. Even after the state formation, Naidu, being the CM of one state, made many futile attempts to destabilize the Telangana government and dethrone CM KCR. However, the last nail in the coffin was the ‘Vote for Note’ case in which Naidu, and his disciple, the current TPCC President Revanth Reddy, were caught in the open. As a result, Naidu fled to Vijayawada with his tail between his legs, one more truth that the author has accepted.
While Naidu failed miserably on many counts as the CM of AP in delivering promises such as the world-class capital for Andhra Pradesh, CM KCR has put the state of Telangana on a growth trajectory by treating all the residents of Telangana equally. Right from day one of the formation of Telangana, CM KCR took a statesman approach and made sure the natives of this land and non-natives were treated equally. Even the good number of population from other states especially AP who settled here felt Telangana their home after the state formation under the leadership of KCR.
Gali Najaraja seems to be vouching hard for the Kamma community in a bid to threaten the BRS Party. He brazenly argued that the Kamma community are influential in around 30 Assembly seats and they will vote against the BRS. The point to be noted is that the majority of the community never voted for BRS. In 2014, they were with the TDP-BJP alliance, and in 2018, they rallied behind the ‘Praja Kutami’ comprising Congress, TDP, and others.
In both instances, they could hardly inflict any damage to the BRS Party and for that matter, they received a drubbing in the Kukatpally constituency where the Nandamuri family member contested from the ‘Praja Kutami’. A humiliating electoral defeat for the TDP in a segment like Kukatpally, which is purportedly dominated by the Kamma community and non-natives of Telangana, indicates that the act of intimidation will not work. And for the record, the BRS Party gave more MLA seats to the Kamma community than the Praja Kutami in 2018.
To put it in CM KCR’s words, Telangana never reacts or votes based on community. To pitch a community against a political party only for the political gains of a leader will only make things worse for the community. However, we are certain that the sensible electorate from the Kamma community will not fall for this hate campaign.
Also, it is shocking that ‘Money Control’ is endorsing the baseless claims of Gali Nagaraja who is disconnected from ground reality. Publishing an article which incites a community by stoking hatred is reprehensible.