 "Free power supply to Telangana farmers, discussing more options: Congress")
The Congress' Telangana in-charge Manikrao Thakre on Wednesday said free power supply to farmers will be among the Assembly poll promises of his party and it is considering what more can be provided to them.
His comments come in the wake of state Congress president A Revanth Reddy's alleged remarks that three hours of free power is enough for farmers and that round-the-clock free electricity supply is not required.
While Reddy, who is currently on a visit to the United States, denied making any such remark, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLC K Kavitha and other party leaders in Telangana held protests in Hyderabad against the Congress.
Addressing reporters in the national capital, Thakre claimed that BRS supremo and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) was indulging in "politics of lies" by "misinterpreting" Reddy's remarks to stop the rise of Congress in the state.
"The Congress party is with farmers. KCR has said 24x7 free electricity is given for three crops. The Congress will give more than what the KCR government is currently giving," Thakre said, and asserted that free power to farmers will be part of his party's poll promises for Telangana.
"We promise to give free power to the farmers. We are discussing what more we can give to them," he said.
Thakre said the Congress has always worked for the welfare of farmers. Be it electricity or other welfare initiatives, the Congress has always given priority to the farmers, he said.
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The Congress has fulfilled its poll promises for Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka and it will do so in Telangana, he added.
Assembly polls in Telangana are due at year-end.
Thakre accused the KCR government of not doing enough for the welfare of farmers, claiming it has stopped crop insurance benefits to them and also has not fulfilled the loan waiver promise.
Revanth Reddy reportedly made certain remarks about free power to farmers in Telangana while addressing a meeting of the Telugu Association of North America.