Hyderabad, February 15 – Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Working President K.T. Rama Rao accused the ruling Congress in Telangana of resorting to anarchy in order to gain power in the 34 municipalities that had hung results in the recent civic elections.
He alleged that the ruling Congress is using tactics such as kidnapping and enticing corporators and council members, sending police door-to-door, and employing thugs.
Rama Rao made these remarks after participating in the Sevalal Maharaj Jayanti celebrations at the party headquarters, Telangana Bhavan.
The chairpersons and vice-chairpersons of the municipalities, as well as the mayors and deputy mayors of the municipal corporations that went to polls last week, are scheduled to be elected by newly elected councillors and corporators on Monday.
Regarding the BRS's support for the Communist Party of India (CPI) in the Kothagudem municipality, Rama Rao stated that the decision was made with the interests of the workers of the Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) in mind.
KTR said that their goal is to stop the exploitation taking place in Singareni.
He accused both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress of being complicit in the exploitation of Singareni and of acting in a way that damages the organization.
He said that CPI and Congress are already in an alliance, and it is not surprising that they are sharing the post of Mayor in Kothagudem.
However, KTR added that he does not know why an organization affiliated to CPI, such as the All India Trade Union Congress, also accepted this alliance.
He said that he cannot say what pressures were at play behind it.
KTR added that regardless of who comes together or not, BRS will continue to fight for the interests of the Singareni organization and the rights of the workers, as it has done in the past.
The BRS leader said that former Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) implemented the slogan "Our kingdom should be in our herds" and upheld the self-respect of the tribals.
He recalled that 3,146 new gram panchayats have been formed, giving priority to tribal Gudas, Koya Gudas and Lambada Thandas, and thousands of tribal youth have been provided opportunities as sarpanches and ward members.
He said that nearly 30,000 ward members have emerged from tribal communities.
He also added that the BRS government protected the land rights of tribals by granting pattas on about four-and-a-half lakh acres of uncultivated lands in a single day.
