Hyderabad: The political climate in Telangana has heated up yet again, with sharp exchanges between leaders of the ruling Congress and the opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS). Minister Adluri Laxman has thrown an open challenge to former minister Harish Rao, calling for a public debate on the BRS’s ten-year governance and the Congress’s two-year performance.
Laxman invited Harish Rao to meet him at the Ambedkar statue on Monday for a face-to-face discussion. The challenge, however, quickly drew counter-reactions from the BRS camp. Former minister Koppula Eshwar, along with other party leaders, accepted the dare and said they were ready to debate the same issues with the congress minister.
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Addressing reporters, Adluri Laxman accused Harish Rao of backing away from the debate, claiming he “ran away with his tail tied” after being challenged. He alleged that even Harish Rao’s sister-in-law, K. Kavitha, had begun exposing internal matters within the BRS. Laxman further accused Harish of attempting to betray former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao (KCR) and demanded that he apologise for his false statements against Congress leaders.
The minister also hit out at the BRS, calling its former ministers “dacoits and thieves,” and accused Harish Rao of believing that “repeating lies can turn them into truth.”
Responding swiftly, Harish Rao dismissed Adluri Laxman’s remarks, announcing that BRS leader Koppula Eshwar would attend the proposed debate on his behalf. “Our leader Eshwar will represent us. Let the Congress ministers come prepared for a factual discussion,” Harish stated.
He reiterated his earlier comments about internal disagreements within the Congress Cabinet, saying that ministers had openly quarreled during meetings—a matter widely reported in the media. Harish also accused the Congress government of neglecting its promises to auto drivers, explaining that his recent “auto yatra” was meant to understand their struggles firsthand.
As the verbal duel intensifies, the political rivalry between Congress and BRS appears to be deepening, setting the stage for more fiery confrontations ahead of the next round of elections.