HYDERABAD: Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Friday said that he was guarding his party MLAs from potential poaching attempts by BRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao. Addressing a rally after Congress candidate Ch Vamshi Chand Reddy filed nomination papers for the Mahbubnagar Lok Sabha seat, Revanth said, “KCR may be thinking that Congress MLAs are like a herd of sheep. Revanth Reddy is here. You try your best. I am standing like a high-voltage wire.”
He was responding to KCR’s comments on Thursday that 20 Congress MLAs were in touch with him to join the BRS.
The chief minister has increased his focus on Mahbubnagar Lok Sabha segment and made his third visit after the model code of conduct came into force.
Reacting to BRS working president KT Rama Rao’s statement that his party election symbol ‘car’ would come back like a new one after undergoing repairs at a garage, Revanth Reddy said that both the engine of the car and health of KCR were damaged.
Later, addressing a campaign meeting in Mahabubabad, he described the BJP as Telangana traitor. He accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of opposing formation of Telangana and obstructing the state’s development.
I am witness to Modi saying state formation invalid, says Revanth
“Modi said that the Telangana bill was passed by closing the doors of Parliament and also remarked that the mother was killed to save the newborn. Modi therefore called the formation of Telangana invalid. I was eye-witness to this. How dare they ask for votes from Telangana now,” he claimed. He also said that while Sonia Gandhi sanctioned Bayyaram steel factory as part of AP Reorganisation Act, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government sat on it for 10 years.
Lashing out at the BJP-led government at the Centre, Revanth said that the Centre had contributed a mere Rs 3 crore to the largest tribal festival, Medaram jathara, while the state government had incurred an expenditure of Rs 150 crore. He also claimed that the Centre gave no funds to Palamuru Ranga Reddy Lift Irrigation project.
Revanth alleged that KCR and Narendra Modi entered into a secret agreement for the release of Kavitha from jail. The two parties joined hands as they cannot win any seats in the Lok Sabha elections if they entered into an open alliance, he said.
“The BJP and the BRS have an understanding in five Lok Sabha segments such as Mahabubnagar, Chevella, Malkajgiri, Bhongir and Zaheerabad. As per this, BRS will work for BJP in these segments,” Revanth claimed.
CM to campaign in A’bad on April 22
Congress Adilabad candidate Atram Suguna, accompanied by Khanapur MLA Vedma Bhojju Patel and other party leaders, presented his nomination papers to District Collector and Election Officer Rajarshi Shah. Later speaking to the media, Suguna expressed confidence that she would secure the Adilabad seat to help the Congress achieve its goal of winning 15 out of the 17 LS segments in the state. It is learnt that Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy is planning to visit the district on April 22 to address a public meeting.