HYDERABAD : Reacting to BRS working president KT Rama Rao’s comments that the Congress was contradicting its own stand on defections, the ruling party leaders stated that the pink party MLAs are voluntarily joining the grand old party.
The Congress also challenged Rama Rao to a debate on defections during the rule of BRS and that of the Congress.
Addressing a press conference at Gandhi Bhavan, Bhongir MP Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy said: “In the past, the then CM KCR never used to meet MLAs. Now, our chief minister is meeting the MLAs regardless of political affiliations and the legislators are joining us unconditionally.”
Meanwhile, TPCC campaign committee chairman Madhu Yaskhi Goud wondered if Rama Rao has any right to comment on defections. He sought to know why the pink party failed to follow these principles which it is preaching now.
He also reminded the BRS leaders that it was their party which threatened to topple the Congress government. “When BRS had 88 MLAs and its alliance partner AIMIM 7, why did you take 12 out of 19 MLAs from the Congress,” he asked.
Rajya Sabha MP M Anil Kumar Yadav said: “Wasn’t it BRS and BJP which encouraged defections. Now, they are talking about the Constitution. But in reality it is these parties which violated the Constitution.”
He said that the BRS MLAs are joining the Congress as they are impressed by the ‘Praja Palana’ of Congress.