Senior Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader and former minister T Harish Rao has launched a scathing attack on the Congress government in Telangana, accusing Chief Minister Revanth Reddy of resorting to deception and misusing public funds to cover up administrative failures.
Allegations of Electoral Deceit and Intimidation
The allegations were made during a felicitation ceremony held on Saturday in the Sangareddy constituency. The event honored newly-elected sarpanches, upa-sarpanches, and ward members. Harish Rao congratulated BRS-backed candidates for their victory, which he said was achieved despite the ruling party's alleged use of coercion, intimidation, and financial influence during the recent local body elections.
In a sharp critique, Rao accused the Chief Minister of manipulating election statistics to project a false mandate. "If there was a Nobel Prize for expertise in lying, it would undoubtedly go to Revanth Reddy," the BRS leader remarked. He presented figures to counter the government's narrative, pointing out that while a ruling party typically secures around 90% of local body seats, the BRS successfully won over 40% of sarpanch positions. This translates to more than 4,000 seats across the state.
He further slammed the CM for falsely claiming BRS-backed winners as Congress candidates, asserting that the Congress party had actually failed to cross the 50% mark in these elections.
Empowering Sarpanches Against State Interference
Shifting focus to the constitutional authority of village heads, Harish Rao sought to empower the newly elected representatives. He emphasized the unique financial power vested in a sarpanch. "Neither the CM, nor any minister or MLA, possesses the 'cheque power' that a village sarpanch holds. Do not be intimidated," he assured the gathering.
He explained that a significant portion of funds, nearly 85% from the 15th Finance Commission, are sent directly from the central government to the village accounts. "The state government cannot stall them," he stated, aiming to reduce dependencies and fears of political victimization.
BRS Plans Training for Grassroots Leaders
To further strengthen local governance, Harish Rao announced that the BRS would soon conduct comprehensive training programmes for sarpanches. The initiative is designed to educate them about their administrative rights, responsibilities, and the nuances of utilizing funds and powers effectively. This move is seen as a strategy to consolidate the party's base at the grassroots level and ensure its representatives can operate independently of state government pressure.
The fiery speech underscores the escalating political tensions in Telangana, with the principal opposition party challenging the Congress government's narrative and legitimacy head-on, starting from the village level.
