KTR says Congress resorting to anarchy to usurp power in hung municipalities

BRS working president KT Rama Rao accused the ruling Congress of resorting to undemocratic practices to gain control in over 30 hung municipalities in Telangana. He alleged that Congress was using coercion, police pressure, and hired goons to lure corporators.

Hyderabad: Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president KT Rama Rao on Sunday said the ruling Congress was committing anarchy to come to power in over 30 municipalities that returned hung verdicts in the recent municipal elections.

Talking to the media after participating in Sevalal Maharaj Jayanti celebrations at Telangana Bhavan, he said the Congress was resorting to actions like kidnapping and luring corporators and councillors, sending police door-to-door, and using goons.

On the BRS extending support to the Communist Party of India (CPI) in the Kothagudem Municipal Corporation, Rama Rao said the decision was taken keeping in view the interests of workers of Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL).

The goal of the BRS was to stop the exploitation taking place in Singareni. Both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress were partners in the exploitation of Singareni and acting in a way that damages the organisation. The CPI and Congress were already in an alliance and it would not be surprising if they shared the post of Mayor in Kothagudem, he said, adding that however, he did not know why an organisation affiliated to the CPI like the All India Trade Union Congress also accepted this alliance.

Remarking that he could not say what pressures were at work behind this, he said regardless of who came together or not, the BRS would fight for the interests of Singareni and the rights of workers in the future as it fought in the past.

Earlier, Rama Rao paid floral tributes to Sant Sevalal Maharaj during the latter’s birth anniversary celebrations. He credited BRS president and former Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao with strengthening tribal self-respect during his tenure, on the path guided by Sant Sevalal Maharaj, the spiritual leader of the Banjara community.

He recalled that the previous BRS government had developed tribal hamlets and created 3,146 new gram panchayats, enabling tribal representatives to become sarpanches. Drinking water facilities were extended to tribal habitations and land titles for 4.5 lakh acres were cleared in a single day.

The BRS working president pointed to hundreds of residential Gurukul schools established for tribal students and enhanced job reservations for Scheduled Tribes (STs) under Chandrashekhar Rao’s leadership.

He reminded that the CMST Entrepreneurship Programme was introduced to support tribal entrepreneurs and subsidies worth lakhs of rupees were provided during the BRS regime.

He added that overseas scholarships were granted to Banjara students and Banjara Bhavans were sanctioned and constructed in districts across the State as well as in Banjara Hills of Hyderabad. He assured continued support to the community.