KCR drops political bomb, says 20 Cong MLAs in touch with him

Calling Modi a dangerous man acting with vengeance, he said tough days lay ahead for Revanth Reddy.

Hyderabad: In a major political statement that has set the poll arena in Telangana on fire, Leader of Opposition and BRS president K Chandrashekhar Rao on Thursday said 20 Congress MLAs had contacted him, expressing their willingness to join the BRS since the Congress headquarters in the State appeared to be influenced by the BJP.

The political bomb from the former Chief Minister came during an executive meeting of the BRS at Telangana Bhavan, after the party chief handed over B-Forms and cheques of Rs.95 lakh each to the party’s Lok Sabha candidates.

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Stating that the State would witness political chaos soon after the Lok Sabha elections, he said several BRS leaders who defected to the Congress recently were already repenting.

Apart from this, Congress MLAs themselves were uneasy in the party with many of them feeling that the BJP was pulling the strings in the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee headed by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy. “Around 20 Congress MLAs are in touch with us and are ready to join the BRS.

But I have asked them to be patient. They said the BJP appears to be influencing affairs in the TPCC,” he said, adding that a key Congress leader had also discussed the issue with him.

Recalling the past attempts by the BJP to topple the BRS government, Chandrashekhar Rao doubted if the BJP would let the Congress government survive.

“The BJP attempted to topple the BRS government which had 104 MLAs. I doubt they will let the Congress government with 64 MLAs to survive for long.

If Revanth Reddy joins the BJP, genuine Congress leaders will prefer to stay with the Congress or join us. AIMIM also will distance itself from Revanth Reddy if he joins the BJP.

Whatever unfolds after the Lok Sabha elections will work in favour of the BRS,” he said.

Kavitha’s arrest is Modi’s revenge

Stating that BRS MLC K Kavitha’s arrest in the Delhi excise policy case was Narendra Modi’s revenge to his decision as Chief Minister to send the police to arrest senior BJP leader BL Santosh for his attempts to topple the State government, Chandrashekhar Rao said the case against Kavitha was a false one built on fabricated charges and she would come out clean.

Calling Modi a dangerous man acting with vengeance, he said tough days lay ahead for Revanth Reddy.

BRS to win 8 seats Citing recent surveys, Chandrashekhar Rao said the BRS would win eight MP seats in the Lok Sabha polls and that the party could actually win three more seats with united efforts.

With the Congress government already facing strong dissent from the people, he said the BRS would emerge victorious whenever Assembly elections were held in Telangana.

Also criticizing the Congress for lack of cohesion within the party ranks, he said this was resulting in the government’s repeated failures to address basic needs of people.

It was only after repeated suggestions from the BRS that the State government agreed to initiate construction of a cofferdam for repair works at the Medigadda barrage. Similarly, the government is unable to procure paddy from farmers through millers.

“The BRS is opposed to the BJP’s conspiracy to construct a barrage at Ichchampalli to divert Godavari River water to Cauvery River in violation of the Bachawat Tribunal award. This is BJP’s ploy to get votes from Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. We will also oppose the Brijesh Kumar Tribunal as the Congress lacks basic understanding over river water allocations. We must fight to protect the interests of Telangana and its people,” he said.