Hyderabad, July 16 (Representative) BRS Working President and former Minister KT Rama Rao (KTR) has raised concerns about the alleged illegal inclusions being made by the Congress party in the state. Addressing the media at the Assembly Media Point on Tuesday, KTR highlighted a complaint made to the Speaker regarding nine MLAs who switched from BRS to Congress. He reminded the Speaker of the Supreme Court’s directive that decisions on party defections must be made within three months. KTR cited a case in Manipur where a Congress MLA was disqualified based on a Supreme Court verdict after switching parties. He urged the Speaker to follow the same guidelines. “We informed the Speaker that ignoring this issue would disrespect the office. We also read out the Supreme Court judgment to him, which clearly states that a decision should be made within three months of receiving a complaint,” KTR said. He pointed out the inconsistency in Rahul Gandhi’s stance, noting that while Rahul criticizes party defections elsewhere, he allegedly encourages them in Telangana.
KTR accused Congress leader Siddaramaiah in Karnataka of claiming that BJP was attempting to buy Congress MLAs for Rs 50 crores each and demanded an investigation into the alleged purchase of BRS MLAs in Telangana. Former Minister and Chevelle MLA Sabita Indra Reddy expressed concerns about protocol violations. She alleged that defeated Congress candidates are prioritised in government programs, often sitting on the stage and wearing party scarves, undermining the winning MLAs’ rights. Reddy recounted an incident in Maheshwaram where a losing Congress candidate was given prominence over the elected MLA. She called for the same treatment for defeated candidates in opposition constituencies. She also accused local police and endowment officers of disrespecting elected MLAs.
Another MLA Lakshmareddy pointed out that in constituencies like Huzurabad, Malkajgiri, Secunderabad, Asifabad, and Maheshwaram, local MLAs face police cases when they bring public issues to the government’s attention. She urged the government to issue instructions to protect the MLAs’ rights. Former Minister and MLA Padmarao Goud criticised the government for allowing defeated candidates to participate in official programs and suggested they should also be allowed in the Legislative Assembly. He warned that any further protocol violations would lead to court actions. KTR stated that they have faith in the Speaker to protect the rights of the MLAs and take prompt action on their complaints. If no decision is made, they will approach the Supreme Court. He also condemned the alleged use of government departments to threaten BRS MLAs and warned that the public would eventually punish those who defected.