Bandi dares defecting MLAs to resign, seek fresh mandate

Hyderabad: Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar on Sunday described senior BRS leader and former Finance Minister T Harish Rao as ‘a good politician.’ However, ‘even he has to resign from his party if he comes to join the BJP.’

Bandi’s remarks come while interacting with the media in Karimangar, following the alleged talk of the BRS-BJP merger doing the rounds. He said BRS chief K Chandrashekar Rao could not prevent his MLAs from joining the Congress and sending the BRS leaders to Delhi. ‘The Congress is giving leaks to the media on the alleged merger to divert people's attention from its electoral promises. Both parties have joined hands, enacting a new drama and spreading false propaganda that the pink party is merging with the BJP, he alleged.

The BJP national general secretary said the party rank and file in Telangana have not forgotten how they were harassed by foisting false cases on the KCR regime.

"How can we forge an alliance with such a party?" ‘People did not believe the false propaganda by the Congress and elected eight BJP candidates as MPs. The party will fight on its own in the ensuing elections’.

Criticising the Congress for making a mockery of people's mandates in the name of BRS MLAs joining the party for development, Sanjay dared the ruling party to get all those joining to resign and take a fresh mandate. Some MLAs are joining to safeguard their properties; others jump the ship to join whichever party is in power. However, "they shamelessly project defections as joining for the development of their segments." However, the local leaders of the ruling party are not dumb, he remarked.

The Union Minister said people have realised that Congress has made false promises to come to power. ‘They are questioning it everywhere. The ongoing agitation of unemployed students in Ashoknagar reflects this. He warned that the party must pay if it provokes the State's youth.

Sanjay questioned CM A Revanth Reddy on the scheme to settle the pending fee reimbursement of private engineering colleges. "Are banks to seek one-time settlements on account of not being able to clear interest on loans taken?" Students and colleges are facing trouble due to pending retirement dues and demanding full clearance.