BRS suffers setback after derogatory remarks against CM by Suman

Adilabad: The BRS is embarrassed over some derogatory remarks/actions against Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy by former MLA Balka Suman.

Suman’s action of warning Revanth Reddy by raising a slipper from the dais of a public meeting the other day has drawn protests from Congress leaders. They are likely to use this as a stick to beat the BRS with in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections.

Earlier also, Balka Suman made a controversial statement that the BRS party sent some of its leaders as ‘coverts’ into the Congress.

After this, BRS leaders avoid visiting villages as they are scared of a backlash from the Congress party cadre and leaders. Congress leaders were so angered at Balka Suman’s remarks that they asked their cadre to chase away Balka Suman and beat him with slippers whenever he visits their villages in future.

Notably, the BRS leadership did not denounce the controversial actions or speech of Balka Suman against the chief minister. Also, no senior leader of the BRS or former MLAs came to the rescue of the Balka Suman on this issue.

The second-rung Congress leaders complained to the police against Balka Suman and the police registered a case in Mancherial.

The BRS also faced an embarrassment over its Peddapalli MP Borlakunta Venkatesh Netha joining the Congress party just before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

The BRS already suffered a blow with Congress candidates winning all the seven seats in the Peddapalli parliament constituency -- Chennur, Bellampalli, Mancherial and Manthani, Peddapalli, Ramagundam and Dharmapuri.

The Congress won all these seats in the constituency represented by Venkatesh Netha.

Notably, Balka Suman was elected as MP from Peddapalli in the 2014 elections. He contested for the assembly from Chennur and won the elections in 2018.

The latest controversy involving Balka Suman might hurt the party’s winning prospects in the Lok Sabha elections even as fact remains the Congress party is already strongly placed in the Peddapalli LS constituency, feel some political analysts.

Some Congress leaders and MLAs of Mancherial district are not happy with Venkatesh Netha joining the Congress immediately after the party came to power.

A Congress MLA of Mancherial district said, “There is no assurance for an MP ticket from the party’s side for Venkatesh Netha. There are many who worked hard for the party’s victory in the assembly elections in 2023. They might get the first preference when a decision is taken on the Congress ticket.”

Venkatesh Netha has an ill reputation of being a party hopper. He joined the BRS after his defeat in Chennur in the 2018 December assembly elections. He contested the 2019 polls on a BRS ticket.