KTR Challenges Revanth and the Rebel MLAs to Quit, Fight By-Elections
BRS chief KTR dared Telangana CM Revanth Reddy and defected MLAs to resign and contest once again in by-elections terming it as referendum on congress rule in view of disqualification order by SC.
In a daring political move, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president K. T. Rama Rao (KTR) has challenged the Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy to invoke the defecting MLAs to quit and seek reelection to their assembly constituencies, and this can be highlighted as a referendum on the performance of the ruling Congress led government in these past 20 months.
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Addressing a meeting of BRS in Serilingampally, KTR said that the defected legislators have thrown the party down, leaving it running out of their personal benefits and added that a recent judgment by the Supreme Court has scared the latter to a defeat. He told Congress that, “If the Congress thinks that it is working on behalf of the people, then these MLAs should step down to make way to by-elections. So one more time you can.”
He also dared CM Revanth Reddy to show people his administration record so far and leave it to the people to judge through by-polls.KTR also blamed the ruling party of misusing the HYDRAA task force which in his view has been detrimental to the real estate sector in the city.
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This political action follows a Supreme Court ruling that guided the Speaker of the Telangana Assembly to rule on pleas to disqualify 10 of its newly elected BRS members who had switched sides and joined the Congress within three months. Much of the focus is currently centred on whether there will be disqualifications and by-elections thereafter.
On its part, the BRS hailed the decision of the Supreme Court as a victory of democracy and also repeated the calls of KTR to act swiftly.
Context & Significance
The Supreme Court has added fuel to the chaos of defectors by ordering a time frame in which the Speaker needs to take action and that could cause bypolls in up to 10 states.
The challenge of KTR complicates the pressure that the Congress leadership must face and taking the law out to the goal lines instead of taking to the legal scoreboards.
It reflects the deeper issue of anti defection norms, propriety in the legislature, and the deployment of state machinery such as HYDRAA in the political arena.
As the Speaker making his decision nears, the demand of KTR for by- elections gears the BRS to combat its legitimacy against the dominating party at the voting booth.
