According to Mr. Shabbir, K Chandrashekhar Rao – head of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) – has bee responsible for the defection of 61 elected representatives in his two terms and for introducing the culture of defection in newly established Telangana.
Mohammed Ali Shabbir, who is an Advisor to the Telangana Government (SC, ST, BC & Minorities), was talking at a press conference in Hyderabad on June 24, 2024.
“The BRS was trying to reduce its opponents in Telangana by any means but it is now less than ironic that they are so loud about those who have left them,” he pointed out here yesterday at this press conference.
Shabbir Ali said KCR had started defecting when he first took office in 2014 and continued till he lost assembly elections of 2023. On June 2nd, 2014 – the day when Telangana officially came into being – Koneru Konappa and Indrakaran Reddy left BSP camp and joined BRS. Talasani Srinivas Yadav who was a MLA from TDP took over as a Minister on December 16, 2014
Mr. Yadav was supposed to resign within six months according to normal electoral practice and face bye-elections; however, he held onto power without doing that. Subsequently KCR facilitated the exit one after another of eleven MLAs from TDP leading up to official merger of TDP with BRS on March 11th, 2016. “As far as democratic principles are concerned Srinivas Yadav remain a TRS Minister for nearly a year-and-a-half while continuing as TDP MLA,” pointed out Mr. Shabbir Ali.”
He also stated that during his first term (2014-2018), BRS attracted four MPs from other parties and 25 MLAs and 18 MLCs from other parties, totaling 47 defection. In the second term (2018-2023), another 14 MLAs, including 12 from Congress and two from TDP, defected to BRS.
He also accused KCR of making it impossible for a Dalit leader Bhatti Vikramarka to be the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly by inducing 12 Congress MLAs to join his party. Similarly, Shabbir Ali said KCR had forcefully persuaded Congress’ MLCs to defect so as to prevent him from becoming a Muslim leader he is – the Leader of Opposition in Legislative Council.
Shabbir Ali called BRS hypocrisy stating that Mr. Rao justified these cross overs claiming development of constituencies and Telangana. More than thirty of them are willing to migrate into congress,” claimed Mr. Shabbir Ali while predicting a massive weakening up of BRS and adding that after all no one would remain there except for family members of KCR.
Mr. Shabbir Ali has raised serious objections on how prime land was allotte for BRS party offices particularly relating how they acquired 11 acres of prime land worth ₹1100 crore at Kokapet paying only ₹37 crore. He demanded that the present Congress government cancel such allocations and reclaim the lands.
