Jagadeeswara alleged the BJP was in touch with Munugode Congress MLA Rajagopal Reddy for quite some time and enticed him to join the party.
Published Oct 22, 2022 | 11:01 PM ⚊ Updated Oct 22, 2022 | 11:01 PM
KCR launched the BRS, his new national party, on 5 October 2022 (Supplied)
Telangana Energy Minister G Jagadeeswar Reddy on Saturday, 22 October, contended that the BJP had forced the Munugode by-election as part of its strategy to restrict Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao to the state and prevent him from emerging as a national leader.
Speaking at a meet-the-press programme organised at the Press Club Hyderabad, the minister said the BJP had “purchased” Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy to force the by-election.
The BJP’s plan was that a victory in the by-election would add to its strength and cut Chief Minister KCR down to size at a time he was fast becoming a threat to BJP at the national level.
He said there is a growing appreciation of the Telangana model of development, not only in neighbouring states but also in northern states like Uttar Pradesh and Punjab. The people were impressed with the welfare schemes that are in force in Telangana and want similar programmes in their respective states.
The minister said that the seeds of the conspiracy had been sown three years ago as Rajagopal Reddy himself had stated that the BJP was in touch with him all along.
As BJP wanted strength to cut KCR down to size while Rajagopal Reddy wanted money, it was not very difficult to entice him with the offer of contracts worth thousands of crores of rupees, he alleged.
The minister, however, said that the people in Munugode would stand by the TRS regardless of the wily methods the BJP adopts to fool the people.
He said that even when he was in the Congress, Rajagopal Reddy had spoken highly of the BJP several times and that he was in touch with the BJP leadership.
