Congress Worked for the Nation, BJP Works for Corporates: Telangana Dy CM Bhatti at Puducherry election campaign

Puducherry, Jan 31 (TNT): Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu on Saturday drew a sharp contrast between the Congress and the BJP, urging voters in Puducherry to make a decisive choice to “protect democracy” in the upcoming Assembly elections.

Addressing a public meeting at Embalam as part of the Congress padayatra covering 23 constituencies, Bhatti said the Indian National Congress, which played a key role in India’s freedom struggle and framed the Constitution, stood for the people, while the Bharatiya Janata Party worked for corporates and multinational companies.

He alleged the presence of a major drug mafia in Puducherry, claiming drugs worth ₹10,000 crore had been supplied across the country, and appealed to voters to defeat such forces at the polls.

The Deputy CM also criticised the Centre’s policies, alleging that the employment guarantee scheme was being weakened by imposing a 60:40 funding condition, which, he said, could jeopardise the scheme in states unable to bear the financial burden.

Highlighting governance in Telangana, the Deputy Chief Minister said the Congress government was implementing all six guarantees promised before the elections, including free bus travel for women, interest-free loans of ₹20,000 crore annually to women’s self-help groups, free electricity up to 200 units, and large-scale recruitment through reforms in the Public Service Commission, with Group I, Group II and Group III examinations conducted as per a job calendar

Recalling the inspiration from Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra, he said the Telangana leadership, including Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, had undertaken a padayatra before elections and was now delivering on its promises.

He also said the government was constructing Indiramma Houses at a cost of ₹5 lakh each, asserting that housing was a matter of self-respect and that no one should remain homeless.

Earlier in the day, Bhatti received a warm welcome at Puducherry airport from PCC president and MP Vaidyalingam, former Chief Minister

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