HYDERABAD: With the campaign in the hotly-contested Munugode Assembly constituency end at 6 pm on Tuesday, BJP candidate Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy on Monday declared that the byelection would not just mark the beginning of the end of TRS rule but also will bury its plans to upgrade itself into a national party, the Bharat Rashtra Samiti.
In an interview, Rajgopal Reddy said Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao, true to his form, had not said a word about Munugode or the problems faced by the people in the constituency in his public meeting on Sunday.
“He did not utter a single word about the TRS’ earlier promises to the people of Munugode in 2014 and in 2018. But he said the problems were really minor and that he would solve them within 15 days if the people vote for the TRS candidate. The people of Munugode are aware of who stood, and stands by them in times of need,” he said, referring to how he had aided a large number of people from his constituency over the years whenever they needed any kind of help.
He reiterated that it was his resignation that forced the TRS to send everyone it could, including the Chief Minister to Munugode, and that people have understood how his principled stand has made the entire ruling party rush to every noon and corner of the constituency to try and persuade voters to vote for it.
“But the people are intelligent and have seen through this unseemly rush with promises that the TRS will not keep. In eight years, the TRS has done nothing for Munugode and people are asking how it can do anything now. They are convinced the ruling party promises are just to buy their votes and if they vote for the TRS.”
Asked if the race was close, Rajgopal Reddy said any such talk was a desperate attempt at make-believe by the TRS. The contest had never been close, it was one-sided towards the BJP. “They have 87 MLAs, 16 ministers sitting in Munugode, distributing liquor and biryani. It is clear that the BJP will win with a huge majority.”
Referring to the Chief Minister's claim that Munugode bypoll would lay the foundation for the BRS, Rajgopal Reddy said, “The Munugode result will not be the foundation stone for BRS but will turn into a tombstone for the Chief Minister’s dreams of not just becoming a national leader, but also continuing in power in Telangana.”
Rajgopal Reddy also dismissed allegations that he was sold to the BJP saying that it was the TRS which “bought 37 MLAs from other parties like cattle in a market. Like I said, the people have seen through every trick of the TRS and are set to hand it a stunning defeat.”
