Telangana: Amid show of strength, Rajagopal files nomination for Munugode bypoll

HYDERABAD/NALGONDA : BJP candidate Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy on Monday filed his nomination at Chandur for the Munugode Assembly byelection. Earlier, in an obvious show of strength, Rajagopal Reddy, accompanied by State BJP president Bandi Sanjay, Telangana party in-charges Tarun Chugh and Sunil Bansal, Union Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy and MLAs Eatala Rajender and Raghunandan Rao, went in a huge procession to the office of the election returning officer. Moments before filing his nomination, he dared Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao or his son and IT Minister K T Rama Rao to contest against him in the byelection.

During the rally, the BJP leaders alleged that the TRS government neglected the Munugode constituency all these years but had undertaken some development works only after Rajagopal Reddy’s resignation. They said that the byelection would decide the future of the people.

The BJP leaders who found themselves on the defensive following allegations by the Congress and TRS that Rajagopal Reddy switched loyalties to the saffron party as part of a quid pro quo deal, went on an offensive. Bandi Sanjay argued that Rajgopal Reddy was a contractor before entering politics. “He resigned as MLA in protest against the government’s failure to develop the constituency,” Sanjay said in defence of Rajagopal Reddy.

He wondered how the TRS supremo whose campaign vehicles were confiscated by banks for EMI defaults was going to buy an aircraft. Refuting the quid pro quo deal allegation, Rajagopal Reddy said, “A smear campaign has been launched against me. I am ready to swear by god at Yadadri temple, which is revered by the Chief Minister, that I didn’t get any undue favour.”

He accused Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao of diverting the attention of the people from his government’s failure with incentives and false promises whenever there was a byelection. “However, once elections are over, he forgets everything,” alleged the BJP candidate.

Kishan Reddy said that Chandrashekar Rao insulted the self-respect of the people of Telangana by dropping the State name from his party. “The people of Munugode will teach him a lesson in the byelection for his arrogance,” Kishan Reddy said.