Hyderabad: KTR accuses Congress of misusing police force and inducements to alter the outcome of recent municipal body elections in the State.
BRS working president KT Rama Rao levelled the charge in Adilabad on Tuesday. He alleged that the Congress government undermined the people’s mandate and targeted opposition leaders through arrests and intimidation.
After meeting former MLA Balka Suman and other BRS leaders lodged in Adilabad Central Jail, he cited developments in Kyathanpally municipality of Mancherial district. He said the BRS won 10 seats, while its ally CPI secured four. Together, they held 14 seats in the 22-member council.
KTR accuses Congress of coercion in Kyathanpally
KT Rama Rao said that despite winning only seven seats, the Congress attempted to capture power. He blamed Minister G Vivek Venkataswamy and Congress leaders for the move. He alleged that party representatives offered up to Rs 3 crore to each BRS councillor to switch sides.
According to him, the councillors rejected the offers. Subsequently, he claimed, Congress members assaulted women councillors inside the Kyathanpally council hall. He further alleged that police arrested senior BRS leaders outside the premises.
KTR accuses Congress of ridiculing the democratic process. He referred to an incident in Jangaon municipality where, he said, a Dalit woman councillor faced an attack by a police officer. “The government has ridiculed the people’s decision and trivialized the democratic process,” he stated.
Challenging the arrests of Balka Suman and other leaders, he accused the police of acting selectively. He claimed that no action followed alleged provocative remarks by former Congress MLA T Jagga Reddy or BJP MP Dharmapuri Arvind. However, he said authorities moved swiftly against BRS leaders who raised objections over poll irregularities. He also alleged that tribal MLA Kova Lakshmi faced false charges to suppress dissent.
Rama Rao urged the State Election Commission to order fresh elections in Kyathanpally, Ibrahimpatnam and Khanapur. He demanded that authorities conduct the process under CCTV surveillance and senior-level supervision. He said the BRS would continue to fight what he described as the erosion of democratic standards in the State.