'BJP Had Sent Feelers For Alliance In 2018': KCR's Son On PM's Claim

Hitting back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for saying he nipped in the bud Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao's desire to be a part of NDA, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Working President KT Rama Rao has said it was, in fact, the other way around and the BJP had sent feelers for an alliance in 2018.

In a message posted on social media platform X on Wednesday, Mr Rama Rao said the BRS has never allied with anyone during polls ever since Telangana was formed, despite several requests. In fact, it is the opposition, that has come together, setting aside their ideological differences in an attempt to defeat the "formidable" KCR,  Mr Rama Rao claimed. 

"In 2018, 'Biggest Jhoota Party' through its State President Dr K Laxman sent feelers to ally with BRS. Could the offer have been made without the approval of his Delhi bosses? Here is the then BJP state president making a statement on record," Rama Rao said, posting some old paper clippings suggesting that the then BJP Telangana chief Laxman had said his party was ready to support BRS (then TRS) if the latter fell short of a majority in the 2018 assembly polls.

Refuting Mr Rama Rao's comments in the post, BJP Rajya Sabha MP Laxman said they were made with ill intentions and aimed at resorting to false propaganda.

"During the GHMC polls, BRS had a tie-up with AIMIM and together they got the mayor seat... BJP would never encourage or have alliance with any family run or dynastic political party," Mr Laxman said in a statement on Wednesday.

Mr Rama Rao, however, further alleged that "political tourists" with selective amnesia who are fabricating stories should know about the BJP's alleged overtures and said the BRS had rejected the offer outright the very next minute it was made.

PM Modi had, at a public rally on October 3, said he had rejected a request from KCR to join the NDA, after the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation elections in 2020, citing his "deeds."

The PM's remarks were vehemently refuted by the ruling BRS, while Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, in a message posted on X on Tuesday, took the opportunity to reiterate that, according to him, the BRS and BJP indeed have an understanding. 

The Prime Minister has "openly accepted" what he (Rahul) had said at a rally last month that the BRS stands for "BJP Rishtedaar Samiti",  Rahul Gandhi said on X.

Mr Rama Rao, in his post, asked why the BRS should ally with a party (BJP) which couldn't even keep its deposit in 105 assembly segments. He added, "Why does BRS need the support of the BJP in GHMC elections when we had the strength to form on our own?" 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)