KTR accuses Congress govt of weaponising police to win municipal polls
BRS working president KT Rama Rao accused the Congress government of undermining the people’s mandate in recent municipal elections by resorting to threats, inducements, and intimidation.
Updated On - 24 February 2026, 04:29 PM
Adilabad: Accusing the Congress government of subverting the people’s mandate in municipal body elections, BRS working president KT Rama Rao warned it against misusing the police to target Opposition leaders.
He said the Congress had resorted to threats, inducements and physical intimidation, during and after the recent municipal elections.
After visiting former MLA Balka Suman and other BRS leaders lodged in Adilabad Central Jail on Tuesday, Rama Rao said in Kyathanpally municipality of Mancherial district, the BRS won 10 seats and its ally CPI secured four in the 22-member body, giving the alliance a clear majority of 14.
“Despite winning only seven seats, the Congress attempted to grab power through pressure and inducements,” he said, holding Minister G Vivek Venkataswamy and the Congress leadership responsible for orchestrating the move.
The BRS working president revealed that BRS councillors were offered Rs 3 crore each to defect but refused. Under these circumstances, he said the Congress adopted all tactics including attacks on women councillors in Kyathanapally by the Congress councillors inside the council hall and arrest of senior BRS leaders outside. He pointed out that in Jangaon municipality, a Dalit woman councillor was assaulted by a policeman.
“The government mocked the people’s verdict and reduced democracy to a farce,” he said.
Questioning the arrest of Balka Suman and other BRS leaders, Rama Rao accused the police of acting selectively. “No action was taken against former Congress MLA T Jagga Reddy or BJP MP Dharmapuri Arvind for provocation and abusive conduct against the police, but cases were swiftly filed against the BRS leaders who questioned irregularities in municipal elections,” he said.
He stated that even tribal MLA Kova Lakshmi was booked in a false case, in an attempt to silence dissent.
Calling the arrest of BRS leaders as politically motivated, he warned that power was not permanent. He charged Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and DGP B Shivdhar Reddy with applying different rules for the ruling and the opposition parties. He warned that those harassing the BRS leaders unnecessarily and unjustly, will not be spared when the BRS returns to power.
Rama Rao demanded that the State Election Commission intervene and conduct fresh elections in Kyathanpally, Ibrahimpatnam and Khanapur in a transparent manner, under CCTV surveillance and senior official supervision.
He urged the Commission to ensure free and fair functioning of local bodies. He asserted that the BRS would continue to resist the erosion of democratic norms in the State.