Union Minister G Kishan Reddy stated that the Telangana elections will be held as scheduled, and there is no connection between the State polls and simultaneous elections. He addressed this during a press conference in Hyderabad while responding to speculations that the Telangana elections might be postponed until May 2024 due to simultaneous elections and the potential imposition of president’s rule.
Reddy mentioned that the Centre had formed a committee led by former President and legal expert Ramnath Kovind to discuss the concept of One Nation One Election (ONOE). He emphasized that the ONOE committee will take a considerable amount of time to produce a report, but there is no association between the Telangana election and ONOE. Therefore, the polls will proceed as planned.
Expressing support for ONOE, Reddy stated that frequent elections impede development and urged intellectuals to provide valuable suggestions instead of relying solely on elections as a solution for political parties.
Regarding alliances, Reddy mentioned that the Bharatiya Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and Congress will join forces in the future. However, he ruled out any collaboration with the pink party and stated that his party will not form an alliance with any party that has ties to the Majlis.
Addressing allegations of hindering Congress meetings in the city, Reddy clarified that the Centre celebrates Telangana Liberation Day on September 17 at Parade Grounds, Secunderabad. He expressed no objections to Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi holding meetings in Hyderabad.
When asked about party candidates, Reddy criticized the release of a candidate list without proper discussion and approval from the Central Parliament Board. He affirmed that the board will decide on candidates and officially announce the list.
Regarding alliances with the Telugu Desam and Jana Sena, Reddy stated that these matters will be handled by the Andhra Pradesh unit of BJP and the central party.
Concerning the arrest of former Chief Minister and Telugu Desam Chief N Chandrababu Naidu, Reddy expressed his belief that the investigating authorities should have followed proper procedures and exercised restraint. He compared this situation to the arrest of a deputy chief minister in Delhi, which was executed after issuing notices and adhering to all necessary procedures.
Lastly, Reddy denied any involvement or knowledge of the ED summons to BRS MLC K Kavitha, asserting that the BJP has no connection to the functioning of the ED.
