KCR's 'retirement days are close...': Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi campaign in Telangana ahead of polls

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and party chief Mallikarjun Kharge launched a scathing attack on Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) while campaiging for the assembly elections on Friday. While Gandhi took a dig at KCR for making "a rule of one family", Kharge said the chief minister's "retirement days are also close".

"...his (KCR's) retirement days are also close. He said this himself that he'll retire after this...He has made all the arrangements in his farmhouse. He'll go and sit there...." Kharge said during a public rally in Telangana's Hyderabad.

Kharge even alleged a collusion between KCR party's Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). "...I challenge that no matter how much PM (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi and KCR make efforts together, still, the Congress will come to power because the public understands the scams here," he said.

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Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi took potshots at KCR, saying the chief minister "made a rule of one family". Gandhi said, "All the portfolios that generate income are in the hands of your CM's family...Land, Liquor... all three portfolios are with your CM's family..."

Reponding to KCR's question on "what did the Congress do in the last sevev years", Gandhi said, "The school and the college in which you studied, KCR, was developed by the Congress." He added, "Chief Minister, the Hyderabad that you stole from for the last 10 years round the clock, was made the IT capital of the world by Congress party."

The Congress released its manifesto for the Telangana polls on Friday, promising free electricity, free bus travel to women, pension for the senior citizens and schemes for farmers in the state.

Rahul Gandhi said, "I would like to tell the farmers of Telangana that the Congress party's government will give you a guarantee of free electricity...Farmers will not have to pay a single penny for electricity...If Congress comes to power you'll get gas cylinders for ₹500."

"This is an election between 'Dorala Telangana' and 'Prajala Telangana," Rahul Gandhi said.

The elections for the 119 assembly seats in Telangana will be held on November 30. The election results will be declared on December 3.