Several TRS leaders today hit out at the BJP leaders in the state for the latter's comments against the TRS government and Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao.
Talking to the media, TRS MLAs Gadari Kishore Babu and Saidi Reddy, and MLC Shambhipur Raju lashed out at the BJP, claiming that the party had been spreading "misinformation" about the TRS regime.
"Though the BJP has been trying its best to malign the TRS, we will still retain our Nagarjuna Sagar seat in the upcoming by-election. The people of Telangana know that the BJP is a party of rabble rousers - the party's leaders have no qualms about creating communal strife for electoral gains. The people will not buy into the party's lies," they said.
(The by-election has been necessitated by the
sudden passing of sitting MLA Nomula Narsimhaiah.)
Calling the BJP a "mafia party", the three TRS leaders alleged that most BJP leaders were facing corruption charges or had criminal records.
"As many as 172 BJP MPs and 26 ministers in the Modi government have been implicated in a host of criminal cases. We challenge Telangana BJP head Bandi Sanjay Kumar to respond to these charges," they said.
The three public representatives also came down heavily on the saffron party for levelling "false accusations" against the CM.
"The BJP's claims that the CM has indulged in rampant corruption and nepotism are entirely baseless. They are all lies. The TRS government is known for its commitment to welfare, and not for corruption. The BJP should refrain from slandering the TRS and the state government just for a few votes," they said.
"The TRS is a well-loved party that has won many elections in the state. The BJP, who has just won the Dubbaka by-election, and has performed well in the GHMC elections, should remember this. The party will gain nothing by making provocative statements. The people are all too aware of its failure to procure funds from the Centre even during the floods that had choked the city last year," they added.
Singling out Bandi Sanjay Kumar for his "barrage" of accusations against the ruling party, the TRS leaders claimed that the former would not be able to hold on to his post for much longer, and asked him to refrain from targeting the TRS.
"Leaders like G Kishan Reddy and Bandi Sanjay should know that the people will see right through their gimmicks, and will never support them," the TRS leaders said.
The TRS and its main rival in that state, the BJP, have been locking horns regularly over a number of issues. As the by-election draws closer, it is likely that the exchange of accusations will only get more and more unpleasant.