VISAKHAPATNAM: Anakapalle BJP MP C M Ramesh strongly refuted allegations made by Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president KT Rama Rao, who had accused him of colluding with Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy to reap government contracts.
Responding to KTR’s charge of a political nexus between the BJP and Congress in Telangana, Ramesh dismissed any involvement in the `1,660 crore worth of contracts allegedly awarded to Ritwik Company. “I have no connection with these contracts. The claim that I influenced them through Chief Minister Revanth Reddy is entirely false,” he said, calling the allegations baseless and politically motivated.
Speaking to the media on Saturday, MP Ramesh questioned the intent behind the timing of KTR’s accusations and attributed them to internal frustrations within the BRS. Drawing a parallel with politics in Andhra Pradesh, he remarked, “Just as Jagan Mohan Reddy faces opposition from his sister, KTR seems to be dealing with internal conflicts that are influencing his public statements.”
The MP alleged that KTR had visited his residence in New Delhi. “If he denies this, I am ready to release CCTV footage,” he said. He further claimed that during the meeting, KTR had proposed a deal to merge the BRS with the BJP in exchange for help in protecting BRS MLC K Kavitha from corruption investigations. “I informed senior leaders in my party about the conversation and made it clear that I had no interest in supporting a corrupt party,” he asserted.
Ramesh further revealed that when he questioned KTR about the sidelining of senior leader Tummala Nageswara Rao, the former IT minister remarked that the party did not require leaders from the Kamma community. “KTR also admitted that following Revanth Reddy’s rise to power, several leaders from the Reddy community had distanced themselves from the BRS and were now aligning with YS Jagan Mohan Reddy in Andhra Pradesh,” the Anakapalle MP said.
Additionally, the MP accused KTR of targeting him out of fear that a BJP-TDP alliance could become a significant political force in Telangana. “During the BRS government’s ten-year tenure, projects worth `7 lakh crore were awarded. I have detailed records showing who gained from these projects in Telangana and who benefited in Andhra Pradesh,” he claimed.
Ramesh challenged KTR to a public debate at a venue of his choice, including Telangana Bhavan or Hyderabad Press Club. Concluding his remarks, he warned that if KTR continued to make what he termed ‘irresponsible statements’, he would be compelled to make further disclosures.