Pistols to revolvers, political big guns in Telangana are well-armed

HYDERABAD: November 30 assembly election in Telangana is not just about fiery speeches, accusations and robust campaign, but also about the firepower and lap of luxury of contesting candidates cutting across all the political parties.
Be it TPCC chief A Revanth Reddy or finance minister T Harish Rao or AIMIM floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi, all of them own imported revolvers, pistols and pump-action guns and cruise in high-end cars like Mercedes Benz, Tesla, BMW, Audi and Land Rover while meeting the voters of their constituencies.
The choices are as diverse as the candidates themselves. Toyota Fortuner, Toyota Innova and Mahindra Scorpio are the preferred SUVs for these netas during their gruelling campaign schedules. At least 20 out of 360 candidates from BRS, BJP and Congress zip around in Mercs.
Akbaruddin owns 3 weapons, Revanth 2
But there's one exception. Chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao stands out as one of the few political bigwigs without a personal car of his own.
Harish Rao, who is seeking re-election from Siddipet, is a proud owner of a .32 NP bore pistol which costs ₹1.3 lakh. Excise minister V Srinivas Goud, who is in fray from Mahabubnagar, possess a pistol worth ₹1 lakh and a 12-bore SBBL gun (pump-action gun) valued at ₹60,000.
Revanth Reddy, who is contesting from Kodangal and Kamareddy, has a ₹2 lakh-worth pistol and a rifle worth ₹50,000, which he mentioned in his affidavit.
A closer look at the election affidavits reveals that AIMIM candidates have a soft spot for firearms. For instance, Akbaruddin Owaisi, who survived an assassination attempt, carries three weapons, including a .22 pistol with sentimental value as a family heirloom, a .30-06 Springfield rifle for hunting and a 12 bore DBBL gun purchased in 2016.
AIMIM's Jaffar Hussain Meraj, contesting from Yakutpura, flaunts a Smith and Wesson 32 bore revolver worth ₹2 lakh, which he imported from the US. He also owns a Sheik Arms .32 pistol raptor worth Rs 1 lakh.
Apart from this, MIM MLA & Malakpet nominee Ahmed Bin Abdullah Balala owns pistol worth Rs 1 lakh & 12 bore gun worth Rs 50,000
Moving on to the wheels, Adilabad Congress candidate Kandi Srinivas Reddy has a Tesla worth ₹51 lakh and a 2016 Land Rover. Huzurnagar BJP candidate Challa Srilatha Reddy and her family own five cars, including a Tesla worth ₹62 lakh.
Former cricket captain Mohammed Azharuddin, who is in fray from Jubilee Hills, moves around in a Land Rover Discovery Sport worth ₹71 lakh. Uppal BRS candidate Bandari Lakshma Reddy flaunts his ₹70 lakh worth BMW sports car in addition to a Toyota Fortuner.