Congress alludes to BJP-BRS secret pact in Telangana

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's sudden claim on Tuesday that the BJP had rejected Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K Chandrashekar Rao’s overtures to join the NDA has brought the political cauldron to a boil in poll-bound Telangana.

While the ruling BRS went into a defensive overdrive, giving explanations on what “actually happened”, the Congress began steering its argument towards alluding to a secret pact between the BJP and KCR’s party.

The BRS returned the BJP’s volley, when its working president and industries minister, KT Rama Rao, said it was the BRS that had turned its face away when the BJP had sent feelers to align with his party before the 2018 Assembly polls results.

He claimed that the BRS had never allied with any party ever since Telangana was formed, despite several requests.

Naming the BJP as the “biggest liar party”, Rama Rao posted on X: "In 2018, Biggest Jhoota Party, through its state president, Dr K Laxman, sent feelers to ally with the BRS. Could the offer have been made without the approval of his Delhi bosses?

“Simple common-sense question: Why should BRS ally with a party which didn’t even get deposits in 105 Assembly segments? Why does BRS need support of BJP in GHMC elections when we had the strength to form on our own? We are fighters not cheaters,” he added.

The Congress seemed to be playing its political flute in the background amid the fiery verbal duel between the BJP and BRS.

Telangana Congress president A Revanth Reddy came out with a conspiracy theory when he said the BJP and BRS were contesting the Assembly polls separately just to split the Congress votes.

He predicted that these two parties would ally to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha polls together.

Reddy made a dig at BRC’s leader, KCR’s soft spot for Modi and said, “Modi and KCR are inseparable twins, and their “Fevicol bond” is like Delhi mein dosti,galli mein kusti (Friendship in Delhi, wrestling match locally).”

“Our leader, Rahul Gandhi, had said earlier that BRS means BJP Ristedar Samiti. Prime Minister Modi is visiting Telangana to make KCR win, by splitting the anti-incumbency vote against the backdrop of surveys, stating that the Congress coming to power is certain. Modi should also tell about KCR's request not to arrest Kavitha in the Delhi liquor scam,” he added.

"The state president of the BJP was changed according to the BRS’ instructions. The Enforcement Directorate, CBI and Intelligence Bureau are not investigating KCR's corruption because the shares are going to the BJP and, therefore, Modi is not taking any action,” alleged Reddy.