Congress will form govt in Telangana, says Karnataka Dy CM DK Shivakumar

Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar on Saturday exuded confidence that Congress will form the government in upcoming Assembly polls in Telangana.

"I will tell you the exact number (seats) on my next visit. I know. I already have an indication. Surely, Congress will form the government in Telangana," Shivakumar said while addressing the media after a poll rally in Telangana's Vikarabad.

He was responding to queries on the number of seats Congress will secure in the polls.

Earlier on Saturday, he said in English that under Revanth Reddy's leadership in Telangana, the party's Six Guarantees are better than those given by it in Karnataka, but it was translated in Telgu by a senior party leader as "after becoming Chief Minister, Revanth Reddy's first signature will be on Six Guarantees".

However, Congress has not officially announced any chief ministerial candidate for Telangana.

Congress leader Ram Mohan Reddy made the 'faux pas' while he was translating the English speech of Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar who was addressing an election campaign rally at Tandur in the Vikarabad district.

"The six guarantees given by the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee under the leadership of Revanth Reddy are better than Karnataka's 5 guarantees," said Shivakumar in English.

But it was translated by Reddy as, "In the coming days after becoming Chief Minister, Revanth Reddy's first signature will be on Six Guarantees, as the Congress government in Karnataka had done on theirs guarantees."

He also took a jibe at Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao and his son KT Rama Rao, saying that they can "rest in the farmhouse" after the election.

"Congress will come to power on December 9 and we will implement all the guarantees. KCR and KTR can take a rest in the farmhouse," DK Shivakumar said here.

When asked about KTR's allegation that the Congress government in Karnataka could not ensure adequate power supply for farmers in the state, Shivakumar told reporters, "He is a liar."

Congress on Friday released its second list of candidates, comprising 45 names, for the Telangana state Assembly polls scheduled to take place next month.

The party has fielded former India cricket captain Mohammad Azharuddin from Jubilee Hills seat while Madhu Goud Yaskhi has been fielded from Lal Bahadur Nagar.

In the previous Assembly election in 2018, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), previously known as Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) won 88 of the 119 seats, hogging 47.4 per cent of the total vote share.