TRS hits back at Cong over defection of 2 MLAs in T'gana

Dismissing the Congress' allegations that it "purchased" two of its MLAs, the ruling TRS in Telangana Monday asked whether the instances of other public representatives joining the Congress was also a "purchase".

TRS working president K T Rama Rao, who responded to Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president N Uttam Kumar Reddy's allegation that the TRS has purchased two of its MLAs, referred to various instances of lawmakers joining the Congress.

Two Congress MLAs -- Rega Kantha Rao (Pinapaka) and Atram Sakku (Asifabad) -- announced on Saturday night they decided to join the ruling TRS in the interest of welfare and development of STs, especially Adivasis.

Rama Rao referred to media reports of a sitting BJP MP in Uttar Pradesh joining the Congress in the presence of its president Rahul Gandhi and General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Sunday.

"One sitting BJP MP in Uttar Pradesh joined Congress in the presence of your (Congress) president and General Secretary. Have you followed the same policy there," Rama Rao said.

The Congress in Telangana Sunday announced it would wage a full scale constitutional battle against Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, accusing him of "engineering" the defection of two party MLAs.

The switch-over of the two Congress MLAs to the TRS is seen as a setback to the Congress for the March 12 Legislative Council elections (MLAs quota).

Rama Rao also hit out at the ruling TDP in Andhra Pradesh over the issue of a case registered by the Telangana police against a city-based IT firm for allegedly "stealing" data of voters through the 'Seva Mitra' mobile application, which was used by the TDP in AP.