BRS slams Congress for ‘hypocrisy’ on defections

The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) on Friday slammed Telangana’s ruling Congress over its “hypocrisy” on the issue of defections.

The state’s main opposition party said on the one hand, the Congress promised in its manifesto for Lok Sabha elections to make defection lead to automatic disqualification of the membership in the Assembly or Parliament, but, it continued to make BRS MPs and MLAs defect to its camp in Telangana.

BRS leader T. Harish Rao wrote a letter to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in this regard, saying that it was ridiculous that Congress promised in its manifesto to bring a law to disqualify defecting MLAs or MPs, while in Telangana, it lured MLAs elected on a BRS ticket to the ruling party and gave them MP tickets.

He claimed it has become a habit of the Congress to mislead people with promises during elections and later forget these promises, noting that in the 2004 and the 2009 elections, the Congress made many promises in its manifestos and came to power at the Centre and in Andhra Pradesh, but did not implement them.

The Congress also made many promises in Telangana in 2023 to come to power but later forgot all promises, he added.

In its manifesto released on Friday, the Congress promised to amend the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution and make defection (leaving the original party on which the MLA or MP was elected) an automatic disqualification of the membership in the Assembly or Parliament.

“However, recent events in Telangana have shed light on the glaring hypocrisy within the party’s ranks,” Rao said, adding that “the reality in Telangana tells a different story altogether”.

It mentioned that within a mere three-week period preceding the release of the manifesto, two MLAs and three MPs from Telangana defected from the BRS to the ruling party in the state. The most recent instance of this opportunistic behaviour occurred on March 30 when MLA Kadiyam Srihari of Ghanpur Station, along with his daughter, jumped ship from the BRS to the Congress.

Just weeks prior, MLA Danam Nagender of Khairatabad made a similar switch to the Congress after being elected on a BRS ticket. During the last month and a half, three MPs who have won on the BRS party symbol – Ranjith Reddy of Chevella, Venkatesh Netha Borlakunta of Peddapalle, and B.B. Patil from Zaheerabad – have also shifted to the Congress, further illustrating the party’s disregard for the very principles it claims to champion.

The BRS stated that despite its repeated pleas to the Telangana Assembly Speaker and the Election Commission, there has been a conspicuous silence regarding the disqualification of these defectors.

“This lack of action raises doubts about the impartiality and commitment to democratic principles which the Congress promises to uphold. The flagrant disregard for the very principles the Congress purports to champion is not only disheartening but also deeply concerning for the future of democratic governance in India. The electorate deserves representatives who uphold the values they pledge to defend, not those who opportunistically abandon their principles for personal gain. As custodians of democracy, it is imperative that we hold our political parties accountable for their actions. The INC’s hypocrisy cannot be ignored or excused,” it added.