HYDERABAD: The Congress has made a fervent appeal to the people of Telangana to understand the “secret friendly ties” between the TRS and BJP getting exposed now in view of the ensuing by-poll to Lingojiguda ward in the city.
“The TRS has announced it will not contest against BJP in Lingojiguda ward. There is a strong suspicion among the people that it is a deal between TRS and BJP as part of which the saffron party fielded a weak candidate in Nagarjuna Sagar asembly constituency by poll held on Saturday. In a quid pro quo, the TRS said it will not field its candidate from Lingojiguda where in BJP is seeking to retain the seat in the by-poll,” said AICC secretary S A Sampath Kumar.
Former minister V Hanumanth Rao has said the Congress party has been saying that TRS and BJP are two sides of a coin.
“Our stand has been vindicated with BJP approaching the TRS working president and KTR obliging them," he said.
The Congress leaders alleged that BJP state president Bandi Sanjay has constituted a committee to look into the issue of party ex-MLC Ramchander Rao-led delegation going to TRS working president KT Rama Rao and also seeking Congress's help to make the Lingojiguda by-poll unanimous in favour of the saffron party.
“All this looks like a political drama between the two parties. If the TRS is true in its claim that BJP is a rival party, then why has the ruling TRS not booked any cases against Bandi Sanjay for targeting chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao with unparliamentary language,” Sampath said.
The BJP should either accept that it has friendly ties with the ruling TRS or there is infighting within the saffron party at a senior level, Sampath demanded.
However, the BJP office has clarified that Ramchander Rao going to KTR’s place was not a planned visit.
The family members of BJP corporator-elect late Akula Ramesh Goud were going to KTR’s office when they saw Ramchander Rao and urged him to accompany them. Rao obliged. However, Bandi Sanjay appointed committee is looking into the issue and will submit a report, said the BJP leaders.