Hyderabad: BRS working president KT Rama Rao (KTR) launched a sharp attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of encouraging “MLA Chori” in Telangana. The Sircilla MLA took to social media to post images of ten BRS legislators who defected to the ruling Congress along with chief minister A Revanth Reddy. Tagging Rahul Gandhi, KTR asked whether he could recognize the “Congress scarf” donned by the defectors and mocked the MPs’ earlier “vote chori” remark aimed at the BJP. “Now these MLAs are denying switching parties altogether. Is this not MLA Chori? How is it different from vote chori?” he questioned, in a jibe loaded with political sarcasm.
The controversy centers on ten BRS MLAs—Danam Nagender, Tellam Venkat Rao, Kadiyam Srihari, Pocharam Srinivas Reddy, M. Sanjay Kumar, Arekapudi Gandhi, T. Prakash Goud, B. Krishna Mohan Reddy, G. Mahipal Reddy, and Kale Yadaiah—who crossed over to Congress in 2024 after winning on BRS tickets in the 2023 state elections. Their defection triggered a storm in Telangana politics, with BRS demanding immediate disqualification. The party has accused the Congress of undermining democracy through engineered defections, while Congress leaders have sought to justify the move as a matter of choice and political alignment.
The matter has now reached a critical stage, with Telangana Assembly Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar issuing notices to the defected MLAs following Supreme Court directions. On July 31, the apex court instructed the Speaker to decide within three months on the disqualification petitions, warning against delays that erode democratic principles. With both BRS and Congress locked in a heated blame game, the issue of defections has become a powerful weapon in the political battle for Telangana, adding further tension between the two rival camps.
