HYDERABAD: A fresh verbal spat has erupted between the BJP and the Congress with the Opposition parties accusing each other of being in cahoots with the BRS led by Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao.
Though the two parties have been accusing the other on this issue for some time, the question of who is with whom flared up on Sunday when BJP state president Bandi Sanjay Kumar declared that Rao would decide Congress candidates for the upcoming polls and fund 30 Congress candidates.
While senior Congress leaders M. Kodanda Reddy and Ponnam Prabhakar on Monday attacked Sanjay and the BJP on this issue, quickly rising to defend Sanjay were BJP leaders led by the party’s state general secretary Gujjula Premender Reddy. The BJP leader reiterated Sanjay’s allegations that Congress was siding with the BRS, adding that the Congress’ criticism had resulted from a realisation that the BJP has risen in Telangana as the only alternative to the BRS party.
“Many Congress leaders are receiving ‘salaries’ from Pragati Bhavan, and it is true that Congress’ candidate selection comes from Pragati Bhavan, how else can you explain Congress MLAs going and joining the BRS,” Premender said while speaking to media persons.
“The BRS party and the Congress have worked together in Delhi in Parliament, and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said he will speak with BRS leaders about alliances. So did Rahul Gandhi. These two parties shared power in the state in the past for two and a half years and both are friends of the AIMIM. Need we say more,” Premender Reddy said.
