Auto drivers pour out anguish as BRS leaders ride with them in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: Auto-rickshaw drivers across Hyderabad poured out their anguish to the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leaders on Monday, accusing the Congress government of betraying their trust and pushing them into financial distress. In a unique campaign that struck an emotional chord with the working class, top BRS leaders, including working president KT Rama Rao and senior leader T Harish Rao, travelled in auto-rickshaws to listen to drivers’ woes firsthand.

Rama Rao rode from Jubilee Hills check post to Telangana Bhavan in the auto-rickshaw of Mashrat Ali, the same driver whose vehicle Rahul Gandhi boarded during his 2023 election campaign. Once the owner of two autos, Ali said he was forced to sell both after the Congress came to power and now drives a rented auto for livelihood.

“I was an owner then, today I am just a driver. I used to earn Rs 2,500 a day, now I barely make Rs 1,000-1,200. Of this, I have pay Rs 400 and another Rs 200-300 for diesel following which I am hardly left  Rs 400-500 to survive. The Congress promised a welfare board and Rs 1,000 monthly support but gave nothing,” he told Rama Rao.

At Telangana Bhavan, Rama Rao addressed a gathering of auto drivers, promising to fight for their rights and expose the government’s betrayal. “Rahul Gandhi rode in Mashrat Ali’s auto promising change. Today, that same man struggles to feed his family. This is the real face of Congress governance,” he said, demanding immediate implementation of the promised Auto Drivers’ Welfare Board and financial aid.

Meanwhile, Harish Rao too rode with auto drivers and heard their stories of despair. Ramesh, one of the drivers, who drove Harish Rao and Kukatpally MLA Madhavaram Krishna Rao said when BRS was in power, he earned Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,000 daily. “Now we barely make Rs 500. The Congress government cheated us with false promises.”

Another driver Sheikh Najeeb shared how his son’s illness forced him to buy medicines from outside government hospitals. “When KCR was the Chief Minister, hospitals worked well, and we had 24-hour electricity. Now, we are drowning in debt,” he said, adding that significant part of his income was now spent towards hefty challans imposed by the police even for waiting on the roadside.

Several BRS leaders including former Ministers G Jagadish Reddy, Talasani Srinivas Yadav, Vemula Prashanth Reddy, S Niranjan Reddy, P Sabitha Indra Reddy, V Sunitha Lakshma Reddy, V Srinivas Goud, Koppula Eshwar, Ch Malla Reddy, MP Vaddiraju Ravichandra, MLAs KP Vivekananda, K Sanjay, Palla Rajeshwar Reddy, Mutha Gopal, Madhavaram Krishna Rao, Kaleru Venkatesh, MLCs Dasoju Sravan, T Ravinder Rao, Shambhipur Raju, senior leaders Kavitha Maloth, Padma Devender Reddy, D Vinay Bhaskar and others also travelled in auto-rickshaws.

The BRS’ outreach drew enthusiastic support, with many pledging to back the party in the upcoming Jubilee Hills bypoll. “We will take ten people each and vote for Maganti Sunitha,” said Najeeb, reflecting the mood on the ground.