Hyderabad: Terming his daughter BRS MLC K Kavitrha’s arrest in the Delhi liquor policy case as “illegal,” BRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao alleged that her indictment in the case was a conspiracy hatched by the BJP-led Centre against BRS, whose government had filed a case against BJP general secretary (organization) BL Santhosh for allegedly poaching BRS MLAs in the previous government.
Rao held an extended review meeting with his party’s Lok Sabha candidates, MLAs, MLCs, former MLAs, district presidents, and other leaders at Telangana Bhavan on Thursday, April 18, where he gave away the B-forms to the party candidates, and also handed out cheques amounting to Rs 95 lakh to each one of them.
The candidates included Atram Sakku from the Adilabad Lok Sabha segment, Koppula Ishwar from the Peddapally segment, RS Praveen Kumar from the Nagarrkurnool segment, and Gaini Nivedita as the party’s candidate from Secunderabad Cantonment by-election.
Claiming that Kavitha was arrested despite no evidence found against her in the money laundering case, Rao said that it was when Telangana police had gone to BJP headquarters in New Delhi to serve notice to BL Santhosh in the ‘Farmgate case,’ that Prime Minister Modi developed a grudge against BRS, and with political vengeance, he got her arrested.
20 Congress MLAs in touch with KCR?
During the meeting, Chandrasekhar Rao dropped a bomb when he said that 20 Congress MLAs were in touch with him and that those who had left the party to join the Congress were “upset” and complaining that the BJP was calling shots in the Congress.
“One of the MLAs asked me if he could bring 20 Congress MLAs along with him. But I asked him to wait,” Rao said.
Expecting a political crisis to unfold after the Lok Sabha election results, Rao felt that the situation would be favourable to BRS then.
“BJP had tried to pull down BRS government when we had 104 MLAs. Will they not do it now, when Congress has just 64 MLAs,” he asked.
Expecting a positive outcome if the BRS workers and leaders worked hard for the Lok Sabha elections, Rao directed his party cadres to focus on the issues of farmers primarily, expose the failures of Congress and BJP, and explain how the work done by BRS has benefited the people of Telangana.
He said that surveys were suggesting 8 Lok Sabha seats for BRS, but 3 more seats could be won if the party leaders and cadres worked hard.
Voicing his concern over the BJP’s alleged conspiracy to divert Godavari river waters away from Telangana, he emphasized that such actions threatened the state’s interests. Asserting that only the BRS could safeguard Telangana’s river waters, he urged the people to support BRS candidates unequivocally.
He felt that it was essential for BRS to amplify the voices of the people in the Delhi corridors. Rao announced his plans for a statewide bus tour to engage with the constituents, address their concerns, and garner support for BRS through street corner meetings and other means.
A show of unity by family members
Meanwhile, the sight of former ministers T Harish Rao and KT Rama Rao reaching Telangana Bhavan to attend the party meeting together in a car was a pleasant surprise for the cadres who were at the venue. This was seen as a show of unity in the family and in the party, at a time when leaders had been deserting the party.
