Hyderabad: The Congress and BRS on Saturday traded barbs ahead of the declaration of poll results, with Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar claiming attempts by Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao to lure Congress candidates to form government. The BRS vehemently denied the allegations and hit back at the Congress.
Addressing media personnel in Bengaluru on Saturday, Shivakumar said, “We have information that they (BRS) are trying to trap us. Our candidates have told us that the CM (Chandrashekar Rao) himself has approached them. This will not happen. No Congress MLA can be bought or poached.”
Shivakumar expressed confidence that the Congress would secure a comfortable majority in Telangana. He said that his own post-poll surveys and calculations pointed to a big Congress win in Telangana.
“I can see in Telangana and other states, there is a big wave in favour of Congress. People want change. They want the Congress to come to power in Telangana and other states, and I hope this will happen. Whatever numbers are predicted in Telangana for Congress in exit polls, I think it will hold true on the results day,” he said.
Condemning the allegations made by Shivakumar, BRS MP K. Keshava Rao said, “There is no need for BRS to poach Congress MLAs. We will secure a clear majority on our own. We don't believe in exit polls… We are absolutely confident that we are getting back to power for the third term.”
Senior BRS leader Dasoju Sravan, in a press conference, said, “It's sheer stupidity of the Congress and D.K. Shivakumar to make stupid allegations that KCR is trying to be in touch with their MLAs. By saying that, Shivakumar is portraying distrust in his own MLAs. KCR and BRS do not require anybody's support. We are emerging as the single largest party and we will form the government.”
