Amid allegations of poaching from BJP and Congress, TRS working president KT Rama Rao on Monday said that MLAs of opposition parties were joining his party only after being impressed by the welfare schemes of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao.
"The Congress should first answer at what cost they have purchased the loyalty of Uttar Pradesh BJP MP Savitri Bai Phule. TPCC president Uttam Kumar Reddy is making baseless allegations against the TRS," said Rao.
"Two Congress MLAs-Rega Kantha Rao, and Athram Sakku-have publicly announced that they are interested in joining the TRS after being attracted to the schemes launched by the state government," he said, adding that a few Congress leaders are not satisfied with TPCC president Reddy.
Congress spokesperson D Sravan, however, alleged that KCR was attempting to destroy the opposition. "Two Congress MLAs are interested to join the TRS. It is unfortunate Chief Minister Rao is bent upon destroying the opposition, thus dismantling the very foundation of democracy," he said.
"There must be a limit to political greed. They have an absolute majority with 75 per cent of seats including TRS and AIMIM. They have 95 seats in an assembly of 119 MLAs. Why do they need more," he said.
"This kind of predatory politics will only lead to dictatorial rule and demeaning the spirit of the People's Representative Act. Unfortunately, Speaker Pocharam Srinivasa Reddy and Governor ESL Narasimhan have become puppets of the ruling TRS," he said.
BJP's state unit spokesperson Krishna Sagar Rao also accused Chief Minister Rao of promoting defections. "We condemn horse trading and defections being promoted by Chief Minister KCR in Telangana," he said.
"TRS' bid to attract opposition MLAs to its fold is only to ensure that KCR wins all the MLC seats. It is the Congress' classic and signature politics which KCR has adopted," he said.
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