Hyderabad: TRS working president K.T. Rama Rao on Monday hit back at TS Congress president N. Uttam Kumar Reddy and leader of opposition Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka for accusing TRS president and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao of buying party legislators.
Addressing a press conference at Telangana Bhavan here, Mr Rama Rao condemned the allegations of the Congress leaders that the TRS was luring in Congress MLAs to join the ruling party by offering huge sums.
Mr Rama Rao said that a BJP MP in Uttar Pradesh had joined the Congress a couple of days ago in the presence of party chief Rahul Gandhi and general secretary Priyanka Gandhi, and asked the state Congress leaders how much the MP was paid to defect.
He said, “Before the elections, Konda Vishweshwar Reddy joined the Congress. How much did you buy him for? Before that, Revanth left the TDP. What was his price tag? How much did you offer for TRS MLCs Bhupathi Reddy and Yadava Reddy?”
He said that Congress MLAs Athram Sakku and Rega Kantha Rao had openly announced that they have been attracted by the policies of the chief minister and had decided to join the TRS.
He maintained that changing parties was common in politics but it was the Congress that had encouraged defections.
He asked Mr Uttam Kumar Reddy why he had remained silent when Telugu Desam president an AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, an ally of the Congress, had lured 26 MLAs of the YSR Congress in AP.
Referring to the remarks of Munugode MLA Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy that the TPCC leadership needed to be changed, Mr Rama Rao advised the Congress leaders to retrospect for themselves.
Answering a question with regard to the MLC elections, he said, “We will certainly win all the five seats with the preferential votes.”
