It is untrue that BJP is strengthened in T'gana: Cong leader

The BJP getting a few seats in Telangana in the Lok Sabha polls was just a fluke and it is untrue that the party is strengthened, state Congress president N Uttam Kumar Reddy said Tuesday.

Referring to comments of BJP leaders that their party would emerge as the alternative to TRS, he said it is only the Congress which would defeat TRS and be the alternative to the ruling party.

"It is Congress which will defeat TRS and dislodge the TRS government in Telangana. BJP getting some seats was just a fluke. To say that BJP is strengthened in Telangana, it is a lie. We don't think it would be strengthened in future also," he told reporters here.

The BJP pulled off a surprise in the Lok Sabha polls, winning four of the 17 seats in Telangana. The Congress secured three, while TRS bagged nine.

Emboldened by the win, BJP declared that it would emerge as the alternative to the ruling TRS in the state.

"It is only Congress which would defeat TRS one day and be an alternative to TRS. Voters voted for BJP in certain constituencies as its candidates were considered strong in public perception and as they wanted to defeat TRS at any cost," Reddy said.

Secularism is deeply rooted in the psyche of people of Telangana and BJP would never have any future in the state, he said.

The PCC president, who won from Nalgonda constituency, spoke to the media along with other Congress winners--A Revanth Reddy and Komatireddy Venkat Reddy.

The trio were felicitated by party leaders.

Alleging that the ruling TRS has failed to protect the interests of people of Telangana during the first term of Modi government, the PCC president said he and his fellow MPs from Telangana would fight for the rights of the state.

The Congress would fight to realise the assurances made to Telangana in the Andhra Pradesh Re-organisation Act, including setting up a railway coach factory at Kazipet, steel factory at Bayyaram, tribal university and Information Technology Investment Region (ITIR), in the state.

The people of Telangana taught a lesson to the ruling TRS for allegedly admitting opposition, especially Congress, MLAs into its fold and trying to suppress Congress, he claimed.