BRS introduced culture of poaching from other parties in Telangana: CM Revanth Reddy

Telangana chief minister A Revanth Reddy has accused BRS chief K Chandrashekar Rao of introducing the "culture" of poaching MLAs from other parties when his party ruled the state.

Reddy also accused KCR, as the former chief minister is known, of trying to derail the Congress government in Telangana with the help of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

KCR’s poaching

"Is it not Chandrashekhar Rao who took 61 MLAs, MLCs, and MPs from other parties when he ruled the state for 10 years from 2014 to 2023?" the Congress CM asked journalists in New Delhi.

He said the Congress’ vote share went up in the Lok Sabha elections in Telangana this year compared to the Assembly battle last year. The Congress won 8 of the 17 Lok Sabha seats.

BRS helped BJP

Reddy, however, blamed KCR’s Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) for the BJP winning 8 Lok Sabha seats, saying this happened because the BRS transferred many of its votes to the BJP.

The BRS, he said, did this to defeat the Congress in the Lok Sabha elections.

"How can the BJP get a majority in (KCR’s son) KT Rama Rao's constituency Siricilla? How can the BJP win the Medak Lok Sabha seat, which is considered a BRS bastion? This is clear proof of the BRS-BJP nexus to defeat the Congress," Reddy asserted.

Reddy attacks KCR

He said KCR’s mindset has not changed even after the BRS was routed in the Lok Sabha elections where it failed to retain the security deposit in eight seats and finished third in nine seats.

"Chandrashekhar Rao and the BRS leaders continue to talk as if people have committed a mistake by not voting for them," said Reddy. "He said the Congress government would topple in the state. What should we do for his comments?" 

Leaders quit BRS

To defeat the Congress, KCR transferred 20 per cent of the BRS votes to the BJP to ensure the victory of its candidates during the Lok Sabha elections, said the chief minister. Reddy’s comments came in response to the BRS charge that the Congress was poaching its legislators and leaders in the state.

Since the BRS defeat in the Assembly elections and its failure to win even a single Lok Sabha seat, BRS leaders have begun drifting to other parties, the Congress included.