Hyderabad

Describing AICC president Rahul Gandhi as the country’s “buffoon,” Telangana caretaker chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Thursday said the Congress party was the “biggest enemy and villain number one” of the state.

Soon after recommending the dissolution of the Telangana Assembly, Rao announced candidates for 105 seats and launched a blistering attack on the Congress.

Recalling how the Congress president had hugged Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the debate on the no-confidence motion and his subsequent wink, Rao said, “Everybody knows Rahul Gandhi. He is the biggest buffoon in the country.

Whole country has seen in the open assembly (Lok Sabha) how he went to Mr Narendra Modi and hugged him, the way he was winking,” the TRS president said.

“Rahul Gandhi has inherited the legacy of the Congress Delhi Sultanate. He is the legal heir of the Congress empire of Delhi. That is the reason I appeal to the people, let’s not become slaves to Congress, slaves to Delhi.” He described the Congress as the “biggest enemy” of Telangana, flaying it for “baseless, mindless and meaningless” allegations against the TRS government.

“Jawaharlal Nehru defeated Telangana…November 1, 1956 (states’ reorganisation, formation of unified AP) is Telanganas black day. After that late Indira Gandhi acted as a dictator,” he said when asked about the Congress’ claim that it created Telangana as separate state.

Largely sparing the BJP in his criticism, he said “decisions on Telangana should be taken in Telangana.” The state Assembly was dissolved on Thursday by Governor E S L Narasimhan on the recommendation of the state Cabinet.

Replying to a query on the possible elections, Rao said according to discussions he had with the Election Commission, polls are likely to be held in November and results would be declared in December along with four other states.

The Assembly polls for Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Mizoram are scheduled to be held in November.

“There is no confusion. I personally spoke to the Chief Election Commissioner. Elections will be held along with the four other states.”

He claimed that the notification would be issued in October.

On the TRS support to the NDA Government on certain issues, Rao said the support was always issue-based.

The relationship between him and Modi was purely on a “chief minister to prime minister” level, he said.

Rao said he is working towards a “non-Congress non-BJP Federal Front” aiming for more decentralisation and power to the states.