BRS has ruled Telangana for two terms, now people ready for a change: Chidambaram

HYDERABAD: Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Thursday said the people of Telangana are ready for a change in the upcoming assembly elections after two terms of BRS rule and appealed to the voters to support the Congress to implement its six poll guarantees in the state.

Addressing media here, he said, ''Our people tell me that they are very confident of winning this election in Telangana. The BRS has ruled the state for two terms. There is a desire among the people for a change. In my view that is the correct thing to do. A change will bring about a new refreshing outlook to problems. I think the people of Telangana are ready for a change.'' He urged the people of Telangana to support the Congress to implement its six poll guarantees on the line of five guarantees in Karnataka.

''I am sure that the Telangana Congress leaders have done their homework and after the government is formed we will also help them generate the revenues to meet the expenditure. It can be done and we will help them implement the six guarantees,'' Chidambaram said. Referring to elections in three Hindi heartland states, he said, ''We are in a very sound position in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. In Rajasthan the campaign has just picked up and I think it could go the Congress way in Rajasthan also''.

The former Union Finance Minister claimed that Telangana state has the highest rate of inflation in the country. ''The government's role is to maintain price stability and control inflation. Its role is to facilitate job creation,'' he said and accused the BRS government of completely 'failing' to control inflation and in creating jobs.

Reacting to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ''leader of fools'' jibe at Rahul Gandhi during a poll campaign, Chidambaram said, ''Modi is the honourable Prime Minister of India. I will not utter such words against him. And I sincerely hope he will not use such words against any other political leader.

To a query on the accusation of BRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao that the Congress only used Muslims as vote bank, the former Union Minister said every party appeals to the people to vote. ''We don't appeal to anyone on the basis of religion or caste''. Responding to the BRS leaders charge that there are several leaders in the Congress who aspire to become CM, Chidambaram said if there are 12 people in the Congress who are capable of being Chief Minister that shows it is democratic party with talent. ''If you are a one-man party and don't allow anyone else to exhibit his or her talent you will be like BRS. ''I take it as a compliment that Congress party has 12 capable leaders'', he said.

Chidambaram added that his party has been a flag bearer of secularism in the country. ''We have made huge sacrifices to uphold secularism. The Congress is the most secular party in the country and we will not allow any communal violence under our government,'' he assured.