Panaji (Goa) [India], October 12 : Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Sunday expressed confidence that the Congress would come to power in Goa in the 2027 Assembly elections, saying he sensed the same optimism in the state that he had experienced in Telangana ahead of the 2023 polls.
He urged voters to support the Congress's 'Hand' symbol and alleged that smaller parties emerging in Goa were being propped up by the BJP to divide votes.
Addressing a gathering as part of the Congress' Goy Rakhonn Yatra, Revanth Reddy appealed to the people not to vote for smaller parties, claiming that their votes would ultimately benefit the BJP.
"They are here to divide the people. Any vote for them is a vote for BJP. This time, I urge the people of Goa, vote only for the Hand symbol," he said.
Drawing a comparison between the Congress and the BJP through the Ramayan, the Telangana Chief Minister said, "Ravan is BJP, which is dividing the people, and Ram is Congress. If you want to defeat Ravan, you have to support Ram," he said.
Revanth Reddy said South Goa had traditionally been a Congress stronghold but alleged that the emergence of smaller parties could help the BJP retain power if voters did not support the Congress.
Emphasising the need for voters to make their choice carefully, he said, "Without voting for the Hand symbol, you cannot defeat BJP. Think twice before you vote. Who do you want running this state? Drug lords? Builder mafia? If you make a mistake once, you can move on. If you make it twice, you can still correct it. If you make the same mistake thrice, not even God can save us," he said.
He said that while Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was working to unite people, the BJP was attempting to divide them.
Revanth Reddy also explained why he was representing Rahul Gandhi at the gathering, saying the Congress leader had been required to remain in Delhi to lead the party's fight against the Union government.
"But yesterday, I got a call from Shri Mallikarjun Kharge ji. He said Rahul ji is needed in Delhi, where he is leading the fight for our country. Kharge ji told me to represent Rahul ji here. Rahul ji told him that Congress party workers in Goa are waiting. I am here as a messenger and representative of Rahul ji," he said.
He described Rahul Gandhi as leading the youth, the Opposition and the country in a fight against what he called the "corrupt dictatorship" of the Modi government.
Congratulating Goa Assembly Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao and Goa Pradesh Congress Committee president Girish Chodankar for organising the yatra, Revanth Reddy conveyed greetings from Telangana and recalled the Congress' campaign ahead of the 2023 Assembly elections in his state.
"As Chief Minister of Telangana, I bring love and greetings from the people of Telangana. I remember how we, too, in Telangana had done a similar padayatra. I also note that there is optimism in the air here in Goa. It is the same optimism I found in Telangana ahead of the Assembly elections in 2023, when we won and formed the government there," he said.
He said people were clear that the BJP government should not be allowed to return to power for a third term in Goa and alleged that the state's land was being transferred to others.
"I asked someone in a temple who their CM was. They told me the CM's name was 'Property Sawant'. The people of Goa elected him to lead the state, but that's not what he is doing. He is selling and giving away the land of Goa to others," said the Chief Minister.
Revanth Reddy also raised concerns over unemployment and drug use among Goa's youth, recounting a conversation he had with a young person earlier in the day.
"He said things are very bad; there are no jobs. Then what are they doing, I asked. He said they are handling the stress badly and the youth are indulging in drugs. Goa has become a den of drugs," he said.
Comparing the situation with Hyderabad before the Congress came to power in Telangana in 2023, he said his government had established the EAGLE force, an elite team of officers tasked with eradicating drugs in the state.
"After we took charge, I created the EAGLE force, an elite group of officers to eradicate drugs in Telangana. I came to know that a lot of the drugs are coming from Goa. We sent a team to Goa, and we found a large network of smugglers here," he said.
He challenged Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to explain why the state government had not taken effective action against drug trafficking, despite the Centre's stated objective of making India drug-free.
"The whole of the Indian government is on your side. The Prime Minister and Home Minister are saying Nasha Mukt Bharat. My question is simple – why are you not implementing it in Goa? It is because you are making money off drugs," he said.
Questioning the BJP government's ability to tackle the problem, he asked whether Goa's association with drugs was good for the state and why the authorities had failed to control the issue despite the Enforcement Directorate (ED), the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and other agencies being under the BJP's control.
"BJP has ruined Goa," he declared.
The Telangana Chief Minister also accused the BJP-led Union government of undermining democracy and alleged that the Election Commission of India (ECI) was being misused to remove voters from electoral rolls through the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.
"Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government is destroying democracy in India. They have destroyed the Election Commission. They are misusing SIR to remove the votes of crores of people who are against them, especially Dalits, Adivasis and Minorities. In the past, BJP used ICE and NICE. ED and CBI were used to attack the opposition. It is not working anymore. Now, they are using the ECI itself," said Revanth Reddy.
He alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar were creating two classes of citizens, one with voting rights and another without them, and warned that Dalits, Adivasis and minorities would be left without a voice.
"Gyanesh Kumar must resign. Modi and Shah must face justice for their crimes against India. Our leader Rahul ji is in Delhi to fight for our rights. We must all support him," he said.
Revanth Reddy said he would convey the message of the people of Goa to Rahul Gandhi and called on the gathering to support the Congress leader.
Expressing confidence about the Congress' prospects in the next Goa Assembly elections, he said, "I also say this today – the fight against BJP will begin here in Goa. Next year, we will defeat BJP."
"Just like the Monsoon, which first comes to Kerala, then Goa, and only then reaches Delhi. Kerala is now with Congress, and I am confident Goa will be with us in 2027. After that, the Indian flag will be unfurled in Delhi. What begins in Goa will end at the Lal Qila when Rahul ji becomes Prime Minister of India," he said.
Revanth Reddy once again congratulated the Goa Congress for organising the Goy Rakhonn Yatra and reiterated his confidence that the party would form the government in the state in 2027. "I am confident Congress will come to power in 2027," he reiterated.