BJP Has Secret Ties With YSRC: TRS

The Telangana Rashtra Samithi, on Sunday, alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party has "secret ties" with the YSR Congress in the ensuing by-elections.

Talking to reporters at Telangana Bhavan, TRS MLA K Tarakarama Rao questioned the BJP's silence over the arrest of Kadapa MP Y S Jaganmohan Reddy. He said that BJP leader Sushma Swaraj, in her by-election campaign in Parkal, did not speak a word either about Jagan's arrest or the YSRC's Parkal candidate Konda Surekha, although she criticised all other political parties.

He said that Sushma Swaraj's speeches clearly indicate that the BJP has some "secret understanding" with the YSRC.

Tarakarama Rao also alleged that the BJP has fielded its candidate from Parkal only to split pro-Telangana votes, which would otherwise have been in favour of the TRS. He said that this was being done to ensure Konda Surekha's victory in the by-elections.

The Sircilla MLA said that although the BJP was contesting from 12 constituencies in the by-elections, all its national leaders have participated in campaigns only in the Parkal constituency.

He said that the BJP's state president G Kishan Reddy, too, campaigned in Parkal for 10 days, ignoring all other seats.

He alleged that BJP is favouring YSRC, on the directions of former Karnataka minister Gali Janardhan Reddy.

The TRS leader also ridiculed the BJP leaders' remarks on the political strength of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi, who called it a "two-MP party". He said that the TRS' lone MP, K Chandrasekhar Rao, had forced the Centre to make an announcement in favour of Telangana on 9 December 2009, and that hence, the TRS was capable of achieving statehood for the Telangana region. (INN)