KTR challenges Revanth Reddy to prove public support by seeking by-elections

BRS working president KT Rama Rao challenged Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy to prove his public mandate by making defected BRS MLAs resign and face by-elections, stating that panchayat election results showed clear public rejection of the Congress.

Hyderabad: BRS working president KT Rama Rao on Friday threw an open challenge to Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy to prove his claim of enjoying 66 per cent public support by making the 10 defected BRS MLAs resign and seek a fresh mandate through by-elections. He said the Chief Minister’s claims of popular approval in the panchayat polls lacked credibility.

Addressing the newly elected BRS sarpanches, deputy sarpanches and ward members after their felicitation in Sircilla, Rama Rao ridiculed Revanth Reddy’s contradictory statements made during a press conference in Hyderabad on Thursday. He pointed out that the Chief Minister first termed the Congress performance in local body polls as people’s blessing for his government, only to claim minutes later that local body elections were fought on local issues and caste, not on government performance.

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“If local elections have nothing to do with governance, how can you claim a 66 per cent mandate? If you truly believe people are with you, accept my challenge. Let the defected MLAs resign and face by-elections. The people will decide who has their support,” he charged.

Taking a dig at the moral bankruptcy of the defected legislators, the BRS working president accused senior leaders like Kadiyam Srihari and Pocharam Srinivas Reddy of abandoning political ethics for power and positions, despite serving as Ministers. He stated that while the MLAs publicly declared their allegiance to the Congress in the presence of Rahul Gandhi, they lied before the Speaker claiming that they were still with BRS.

“Clinging to power like bats, their political credibility is completely ruined,” he remarked, adding that the Speaker’s office had acted in favour of the defected MLAs under pressure from the Chief Minister to shield the defectors by ignoring concrete evidence.

Rama Rao asserted that the panchayat election results were a clear mandate against the Congress for deceiving farmers, women and the BCs. Despite the Congress government allegedly using the police and official machinery to intimidate the opposition, he said BRS won 80 out of 117 gram panchayats in Sircilla constituency. He added that despite the Chief Minister and his Cabinet Ministers campaigning, the people voted for former Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao’s leadership seeking the welfare and development of villages. “People are trusting BRS vision over Congress conspiracies,” he stated.

He said rapid rural development under the BRS regime had slowed down during the Congress rule due to the government’s apathy. He asked the newly elected people’s representatives to strive to put rural development back on track. He reiterated that the Congress leaders have no right to stop funds for development of villages.

Urging the party rank and file to remain steadfast, Rama Rao assured that the BRS would provide full support to any worker facing threats or harassment. He announced that a massive membership drive and the formation of new village, mandal and district committees would commence next month, blending the experience of seniors with the energy of the youth. He called upon the cadre to maintain the same momentum for the upcoming Zilla Parishad and Mandal Parishad elections to ensure a clean sweep.