Opposition plans to corner KCR government

HYDERABAD: Opposition parties are gearing up to confront the TRS government over several burning issues in the state, particularly power woes and farmers' suicides in the maiden budget session of Telangana state Assembly commencing on Wednesday.

The Congress, TDP and BJP have been criticising the 'lacklustre' performance of the ruling party and are now preparing to battle it out with TRS in the Assembly over the people's issues.

Increasing number of farmers suicides, short supply of power to farm sector and industries, farm loan waiver, dilemma over engineering college admissions, non-implementation of promised 12 pc reservation to tribals and minorities among others are the issues that they are likely to be raised in the session.

Each opposition party is working out the strategies and held series of meetings with their leaders and legislators for the last few days to decide on the approach they have to adopt.

Given the unprecedented war of words between the Telangana and Andhra Pradesh governments, political observers feel that TTDP legislators are likely to be more vocal in criticism of the government and its policies. Congress, which is facing internal leadership problems is also being expected to resort to unbarred criticism of the government.

TDP floor leader Errabelli Dayakar Rao said they would confront the government on every issue _ power supply to farmers and failure to procure power to meet the demand. 'Our main focus will be on the farmers' issues.

Today, farmers are reeling under debts with no clarity over loan waiver. They are getting inadequate power supply which has resulted in crops getting withered. Besides, there is no remunerative price for their produce. The performance of the government has been lacklustre,' he told reporters.

TTDP legislators have party chief N Chandrababu Naidu's blessings to go all out to speak on public issues and, if necessary, criticise the AP Government.

At a meeting with T-TDLP members ahead of budget session, Naidu said K Chandrasekhar Rao was making allegations against the AP government over every issue, particularly power, to cover his directionless strategies which led to the crisis.

He said if KCR was able to prove his allegations, TDP MLAs were free to criticise the AP government. The TDP legislators' focus should be on government's failure to address people's problems, particularly farmers, he advised.

It was decided that a team of two MLAs each will study issues and speak on them in the Assembly.

Not to be left behind, main opposition party Congress has also decided to confront the TRS government over every issue, particularly farmers suicides, power crisis, public health, unemployment. It is ready to raise non-implementation of 12 pc reservation for tribals and minorities.

The CLP decided to seek division on budget and act against any MLA siding with the ruling party.