HYDERABAD: Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy accused the BRS of acting as the ‘B team of the BJP’ to split votes in the Jubilee Hills byelection. He alleged that both parties conspired to obstruct the implementation of 42% reservations for Backward Classes in local body elections and colluded in the bypoll, similar to their secret pact during the Lok Sabha elections.
During the commemoration of the Rajiv Gandhi Sadbhavana Yatra at Charminar on Sunday, Revanth presented the ‘Rajiv Gandhi Sadbhavana Award’ to former union minister and member of the Congress Working Committee, Salman Khurshid. The award recognises his contributions to promoting harmony and unity.
Reiterating his allegation of a secret pact between BRS and BJP before the Lok Sabha elections, Revanth said the transfer of 21% votes to BJP in those polls was enough to prove the BRS conspiracy in the state. He urged people to thwart BRS attempts to divide votes in the Jubilee Hills bypoll.
Urging youth participation in politics, Revanth said an amendment to the Constitution to reduce the minimum age to contest Assembly elections from 25 to 21 years was the need of the hour. He recalled how former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi lowered the voting age to 18.
Recalling the late prime minister’s Sadbhavana Yatra, Revanth said, “We are organising this programme to continue to honour the legacy of Rajiv Gandhi. I congratulate the organisers for presenting the Rajiv Gandhi Sadbhavana Award to Salman Khurshid ji.”
Revanth added that the name ‘Gandhi’ was synonymous with India.“Indira Gandhi sacrificed her life to protect the integrity of the country. Rajiv Gandhi continued her legacy and sacrificed his life too. Inspired by this, Rahul Gandhi embarked on the Bharat Jodo Yatra. Generations of the Gandhi family remain an inspiration to the nation,” he added.
