“KCR has sold Rajya Sabha seats in view of the forthcoming elections,” criticized BJP MLA, Raghunandan Rao. He spoke to the media at the BJP office in Hyderabad. The three who won the Rajya Sabha shared 40 MLA seats.
“The House of Elders is not meant for people who can walk in with suitcases,” Raghunandan said. He suggested sending experts with a serious purpose. The educated should go to the Rajya Sabha but not the ones who bring money. He was incensed that seats were allotted to those not associated with the Telangana movement. Why KCR doesn’t send Telangana activists like Shankaramma? he asked.
It has been criticized that the CM is giving preference to the people of the higher castes. “Funds have been going directly to the Gram Panchayats from the Center since the Rajiv Gandhi regime,” Raghunandan said. He explained that the Center would fund every scheme in the state. He was incensed at the TRS claiming the central schemes as their own.
“TRS is trying to discredit the Center. Is it wrong to give funds directly to the panchayats?” He said the National Rural Employment Scheme was putting money directly into accounts to avoid corruption. He questioned whether this was causing trouble to the state government.
Although the constitution clearly states that 29 items, including education and medicine, should be transferred to the villages, the state government has been accused of encroaching on the powers. “The credit goes to KCR for turning the panchayats into ceremonial idols. Isn’t it true that the sarpanches have been selling assets for days and turning them into employment laborers, watchmen? That is why we are giving funds directly to the panchayats to thwart the commissions of the TRS leaders,” Raghunandan said.