If Defected MLAs Have Guts, Let Them Recontest: KTR

Addressing a massive gathering of key BRS workers of the Serilingampally constituency today, BRS working president K T Rama Rao challenged Chief Minister Revanth Reddy to ask the defected MLAs to resign and recontest if they truly believed that they enjoyed public support.

He also said that the Chief Minister should present the record of his 20-month rule before the people and face the by-elections as a referendum on his governance.

Referring to the recent Supreme Court judgment, KTR also said that the MLAs who switched parties were now gripped by fear of defeat.

"But even though a few leaders betrayed the movement, our workers have kept the pink flag close to their hearts," he added.

KTR also took the opportunity to claim that under K Chandrashekar Rao's decade-long leadership, Telangana had witnessed progress in both development and welfare. For example, he said, within just six months of coming to power, KCR had resolved the State's power crisis, eliminating the need for inverters and generators in homes and shops.

Telangana was also developed without the politics of caste, religion or region under KCR, KTR claimed. "KCR gave Dasara gifts for Hindu girls, Ramzan hampers for poor Muslims and Christmas gifts for Christians, ensuring that every religion felt equally respected," he said.

KTR also claimed that KCR had made Hyderabad the "beating heart" of Telangana, and said that in the 2023 Assembly elections not a single seat was won by the Congress in the city because the people voted entirely for the BRS.

The BRS working president also lashed out at HYDRAA, claiming that the Congress government was weaponising the HYDRAA task force to serve blackmail interests. "If it is indeed neutral, why doesn't HYDRAA also demolish the illegal house built by Revanth Reddy's brother Tirupati Reddy in the Durgam Cheruvu FTL zone?" he asked.

KTR said that HYDRAA had demolished poor people's homes while sparing the rich and powerful, and even created tragedies like the suicide of a woman named Buchamma in Kukatpally who killed herself fearing that HYDRAA would demolish her house.

"HYDRAA is functioning as a blackmail racket for Congress leaders - extorting the poor, threatening builders and collecting illegal RR taxes. Even the Prime Minister has acknowledged these wrongdoings," KTR alleged.

KTR also said that Revanth Reddy had borrowed more in 20 months than the BRS did in 10 years, and wondered how the CM was then even speaking about development.