LS polls may be held in Andhra, Telangana in first week of April: Union Minister Kishan Reddy

Hyderabad, Jan 21 (PTI) Observing that the Lok Sabha elections could be held in the first week of April in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, Union Minister G Kishan Reddy here on Sunday said the BJP is gearing up for the polls and that Narendra Modi would become Prime Minister for the third time.

Going by the schedule of the elections last time (in 2019), the polls could be held in AP and Telangana in the first week of April, Kishan Reddy, the Telangana BJP president said.

"Under the leadership of Narendra Modi ji, we are (going to) polls for the third time, notification is going to come next month. We are getting ready for parliament elections," he said.

"Elections may happen in the Telugu states in the first week of April. We have seen the Election Commission's schedule last time. If we see that, elections would be there in the first week (of April)," he said.

While Union Ministers had to go to jail during the previous UPA regime over allegations of corruption, a stable, honest and efficient government has been in place under the leadership of PM Modi in the last nine and a half years, he said.

India has emerged as the fifth largest economy and there has been peace in the country without bomb blasts, communal clashes and activities of the (Pakistan spy agency) ISI, he said.

Various sectors, including national highways and agriculture have witnessed progress and several reforms and major decisions like abolition of Article 370 and triple talaq were taken by the government, he said.

Four crore houses for the poor were built and handed over to beneficiaries during the last nine and a half years, while the previous BRS government in Telangana could not provide housing to the poor, he said.

The ruling Congress made a slew of promises to the poor but it does not appear to have a roadmap, he said.

Claiming that there is no need for the BRS in Telangana, he said any vote given to the party in the Lok Sabha polls amounts to wasting it.

The country would suffer a lot if small parties come to power in the name of 'Fronts' and the nation would have a stable government only under Modi's leadership, he said.

People are not able to imagine a national government without Modi's leadership, Reddy said.

Referring to the consecration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, he said it is not just a temple but symbolises the self-respect of every Hindu in the world.

Meanwhile, Kishan Reddy today inaugurated the National Skill Training Institute for Women NSTI (W) here.

Speaking on the occasion, he said that empowerment of women has been a major priority for the Central Government.

Reddy said the NDA Government has launched numerous schemes to empower women and cited the abrogation of Article 370, which he said has ensured equal rights to women of Jammu and Kashmir.

He also said that the law to ban the practice of 'Triple talaq' law contributed to women empowerment. PTI