Hyderabad, Feb 25 (IANS) Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar on Tuesday compared the contest between the BJP and the Congress in the Telangana MLC polls to India-Pakistan cricket match, drawing the ire of the state’s ruling party, which accused him of inciting communal animosities.
The BJP leader described his party as Indian team and termed the Congress as Pakistan. He predicted that just as India thrashed Pakistan in the Champions Trophy match on Sunday, the BJP would defeat the Congress party in the February 27 elections to three MLC seats from graduates’ and teachers’ constituencies.
“India means josh. BJP means josh. Just as the Indian team fulfilled the hopes of the cricket fans by winning the match, the BJP will also fulfill the aspirations of graduates and teachers by winning the MLC elections,” he told media persons in Karimnagar.
“Another match will be played on February 27. Ours is the India team, they (Congress) are Pakistan team. Voters should think and decide. If you want India to win, vote for us. If you want Pakistan to win, vote for them,” Bandi Sanjay said.
“In the cricket match, India thrashed Pakistan. Give an opportunity to BJP to hand out a crushing defeat to Congress in the political match on February 27,” he urged the voters.
Bandi Sanjay, who is a Lok Sabha member from Karimnagar, ridiculed Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy for addressing three public meetings on Monday to campaign for the Congress candidate. He said no chief minister ever campaigned in an MLC election.
“In all three meetings, the Chief Minister said victory or defeat of Congress candidate would make no difference to them. This itself shows that he has admitted the defeat,” he said.
Revanth Reddy on Monday addressed public meetings in Nizamabad, Mancherial and Karimnagar in support of the Congress candidate for election to Karimnagar-Medak-Nizamabad-Adilabad graduates constituency.
Both national parties are locked in a direct fight in the election for this seat as Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has not fielded its candidate.
BJP has also announced candidates for elections to other two MLC seats – Medak-Nizamabad-Adilabad-Karimnagar and Warangal-Khammam-Nalgonda teachers constituencies.
Meanwhile, Congress party has lashed out at Bandi Sanjay Kumar for comparing MLC polls to India-Pakistan cricket match.
Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president Mahesh Kumar Goud said that it is an old habit of the BJP leaders to draw mileage in every election by inciting communal animosities.
He asked how one can one compare elections to cricket match.
“In the match played in Dubai, India emerged victorious. All Indians were happy. We also watched the match and enjoyed. He is speaking as if BJP leaders won the match for India. How can you compare cricket with politics. Cricket is a game. Victory and defeat are common. Sometime we win, sometimes they win. This is just for fun. Bringing cricket into politics to draw mileage is shameful,” he said.
–IANS
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