KARIMNAGAR: A day after 11 BRS corporators joined the Congress in the presence of Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy in Sircilla, senior pink party leaders arrived in the town to control the situation and arrest the defections.
In a press conference on Saturday, Karimnagar MLA Gangula Kamalakar and party nominee B Vinod Kumar expressed confidence that “99% of the remaining corporators will not leave the BRS”. “They are loyal to the pink party,” they told reporters.
The 11 corporators, prior to joining the Congress, actively participated in the election campaign for the BRS in their respective divisions.
Addressing the media, Vinod said that he was saddened by their decision to leave the party just 10 days before the poll. “What mistake did I make that necessitated this move,” he asked. “I have worked sincerely for the party and helped develop the city as a representative of the people.”
Additionally, he urged the locals to chase the 11 corporators away if they go to houses and seek votes for the Congress now. “Vote for development, not destruction,” he opined.
Reflecting on his tenure at MP from 2014 to 2019, Vinod said he brought development works worth Rs 1,000 crore. He said that if the people of Karimnagar voted him into power, he would raise their concerns in Parliament and demand the setting up of an IIIT, which, the BRS leader claimed the sitting MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar had failed to deliver, apart from establishing a skill development centre for the youth. Most of the youths are unable to secure jobs in the private sector due to a lack of requisite skills, he added.