After furore, ex-MP Konda Vishweshwar Reddy retracts statement, says he will continue in BJP

“Some channels and newspapers, too, highlighted the content out of context to suit their political line,” he said.

He retracted his statement that the delay in arresting BRS MLC and daughter of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, K Kavitha, was being seen as a sign of a secret pact between KCR and the BJP. He said the parties do not arrest anyone, but at the most, ask for expediting the investigation.

Reddy said though the BJP believed that she was guilty of involvement in the Delhi excise policy scam, it was not the saffron party that would arrest her. There are investigation agencies who would arrest her if they glean enough evidence at an appropriate time.

Also read: Congress victory in Karnataka casts shadow on Telangana BJP

Invites TPCC chief to BJP

Reddy said that it was the BJP that had all the weapons in its armoury to take on KCR.

“I am inviting TPCC President A Revanth Reddy to join the saffron party so that all of us together could bring down the BRS regime. The BJP is better equipped than the Congress to defeat KCR,” he said.

The former parliamentarian said that the Congress and the BRS were politically smart in winning elections. If the Congress emerged as the winner in Karnataka it was because it was smart enough to ensure Muslims’ polarisation against the BJP.

KCR too always thought along the lines of winning elections instead keeping his vision on the development of all sections of society, he contended.

Reddy said that the BJP, on the other hand, always had long-term objectives — equitable development of the nation — and would act in that direction. Though it may have short-term objectives, it would never lose sight of its long-term goals even if there are temporary setbacks like in Karnataka or the Munugode by-election, he said.

Also read: Crisis in BJP: It is lateral entrants vs those steeped in RSS ideology

The BJP leader said that one policy that showed the BJP thought about the nation and not politics all the time is the Electricity (Amendment) Bill.

Even the architect of the Indian Constitution, BR Ambedkar, had opined that energy should exclusively be a national subject in a vast country like India since resources from generating power would not be uniform in all states.

He also dismissed as baseless the speculation that there was a pressure group within the party working for the replacement of Telangana state BJP president and MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar.

Reddy said there was no such move, but in the BJP, one gets the opportunity to present one’s views. It need not necessarily be for a change of guard.

The party might listen to the opinions of leaders on various aspects to fight the elections. “We only present our views and it is for the party to take decisions in the best interest of the BJP in the state,” he said.