'Divisive forces trying to enter Hyderabad': CM KCR compares Telangana & UP as Yogi visits

Slamming UP CM Yogi Adityanath for campaigning in Hyderabad for the upcoming GHMC polls, Telangana CM K Chandrashekar Rao has said that "some divisive forces" are coming to wreak havoc in the city. He compared the per capita income of his state to that of Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh and asked people if they will teach the saffron party a lesson on the day of the poll results. KCR had in the run-up to the municipal polls invited anti-BJP leaders for a conclave in December, with the hope of forming an anti-BJP front once again. 

"Some divisive forces are trying to enter Hyderabad and create havoc. Are we going to allow it? Are we going to lose our peace? What about the future of our children? Please think. We may not be there but our children will be there. Today UP CM has come. Our state was at 13th position 6 years ago, in terms of per capita income. It now stands 5th. UP stands 28th or 29th and they will teach us! Yesterday Maharashtra's ex-CM came. They are ranked 10th & they will teach us - the one at 5th position."

KCR asked the crowd at a massive rally on the penultimate day of the campaigning, "When there were heavy floods in Hyderabad, these leaders never bothered to come here to call on the people. But now, they are flooding the city to campaign in the local polls. Why are they coming in such large numbers and attacking this lanky man?”

He pointed out, "Hyderabad is a cosmopolitan city, where people from all parts of the country co-exist in peace, do their business and prosper. It is like a bouquet of flowers. It is attracting huge investments and creating lakhs of job opportunities only because there are no law and order issues here. There are no power cuts, no drinking water crisis, no industrial unrest and no communal riots. We have been displaying a lot of political maturity."

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BJP's campaign in Hyderabad

Addressing a roadshow on Saturday, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath reignited the debate about renaming Hyderabad as 'Bhagyanagar'. Stressing that Bhagyanagar is not a communal name, he opined that it symbolizes 'development'. BJP national President JP Nadda in his rally on Friday highlighted the Modi government's efforts to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic and also accused the ruling TRS government of widespread corruption. Nadda also responded to the repeated digs by TRS leaders on high-profile leaders visiting Hyderabad to campaign for the BJP. Nadda had said, "Prior to my visit, they (TRS) were saying that for a street election, a national leader is coming. Now you understand their mentality. It is the disrespect of the electorate of Hyderabad. In a democracy, is Hyderabad a street?"

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Now, Amit Shah will address poll rally on Saturday:

READ | GHMC Polls: UP CM Yogi Pitches Renaming Of Hyderabad To 'Bhagyanagar'; Attacks TRS & AIMIM

Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) elections

The Telangana State Election Commission (TSEC) announced that 150 GHMC divisions will go to polls on December 1 and the counting of votes will be done on December 4. Due to COVID-19 pandemic, the polling time has been extended by one hour, i.e., from 7 am to 6 pm. The current term of the GHMC council ends in February 2021 and in the 2016 elections, AIMIM won 44 seats, TRS won 99. BJP won 4 seats, Congress won 2 and TDP won one seat.

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