Ponnam to Sanjay: Use Modi’s photo, not Lord Rama’s, for Votes

Karimnagar: Transport minister Ponnam Prabhakar on Thursday said the BJP was using the name of Lord Rama for political benefit. The Congress resists such practice though its leaders are also devotees of Lord Rama.

The minister was speaking at a meeting organised by the Karimnagar District Congress Committee under the leadership of Manakondur MLA Dr K. Satyanarayana at Alaganuru in the Manakondur constituency of Karimnagar district on Thursday as part of constituency-level meetings being organised with key party leaders.

Prabhakar appealed to the party cadre to continue their work with the same spirit as they did in the Assembly elections to register massive victory in the Karimnagar parliament constituency.

Coming down heavily on BJP MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar, the minister him why he did not bring funds for the development of temples in Vemulawada, Kondagattu and Dharmapuri under the Centre’s ‘Prasad’ scheme though he claimed to be a Ram bhakt.

“Why is Sanjay using the photo of Lord Rama for seeking votes? Why doesn’t he use the photo of Narendra Modi if the BJP leaders are sure of their leader’s charisma," Prabhakar added.

“In the last 15 years, I represented Karimnagar in the Lok Sabha for five years. Sanjay for five years and Vinod Kumar (BRS) for five years. We should tell people what kind of development works each one of us brought for Karimnagar,” Prabhakar said adding that he had secured a connecting Tirupati, passport office, a Kendriya Vidyalaya, a model school and a hospital.

Prabhakar said the BRS did not have any right to seek votes. “It drove a surplus state into a debt trap of `70 lakh crore. Before contesting the Lok Sabha elections, the BRS has got ‘duck out’ and will not win a single seat.”

Vemulawada MLA Aadi Srinivas, Choppadandi MLA Medipally Satyam, in-charges of Karimnagar, Huzurabad and Sircilla Assembly constituencies P. Srinivas, V. Pranav Kumar and K. Mahendar Reddy, Congress leaders Velichala Rajendar and Arepally Mohan were present.