Jupally, other leaders from BRS join Congress

Hyderabad: Former minister Jupally Krishna Rao and other leaders joined the Congress in the presence of AICC president Mallikarjuna Kharge in Delhi. Welcoming them into the Congress, TPCC chief A. Revanth Reddy said the party was determined to defeat both the BRS and BJP in the ensuing Assembly elections.

Reddy said that the Chief Minister was only aping the Congress, whose welfare announcements he was trying to hijack. These included the party’s promise to waive loans of farmers once it comes to power and merging TSRTC with the government and providing job guarantee to the employees.

"The Chief Minister is only trying to draw the attention of the people because of the ensuing elections. As regards the TSRTC issue, the government formed a committee only to pass time on the issue till elections. We demand the government to implement all its promises and announcements without any further delay," Reddy said.

Meanwhile, Krishna Rao expressed happiness with his ghar wapsi.

"People, vexed by the fascist rule of Rao, are looking for alternative governments in Telangana. They all are backing the Congress party," Krishna Rao said.

Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy, who recently joined the Congress, said that they have conducted a number of surveys. The findings were that there was an overwhelming anti-government sentiment among the people. The Congress party's image has gone up after Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra. Similarly, the Karnataka election results have also strengthened Congress prospects in Telangana, he said.

Revanth Reddy reiterated that BRS and BJP have a political nexus, which was evidenced from the fact that the Centre never arrested Rao’s family members, for alleged involvement in the Delhi liquor scam. The Central agencies never provided security to BJP leaders Bandi Sanjay and T. Raja Singh despite court orders. It was based on the state government's reports that the Centre provided security to Etala Rajendar, he said.

Revanth Reddy alleged that Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao was only focussed on pushing the liquor trade while his family members were involved in the Delhi liquor scam. He alleged that the pre-release of A4 liquor shops notification was the latest move to add to his wealth. Calling Chandrasekhar Rao as ‘liquor king’,

The TPCC chief said that Rao was a student of Charles Sobhraj, whose footsteps he followed to amass thousands of crores, by grabbing lands.