HYDERABAD

Government Whip Aadi Srinivas dismissed BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao’s challenge to Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy to dissolve the Assembly and seek fresh elections, terming it “meaningless and politically-motivated”.

Addressing the media on Saturday, Mr. Srinivas accused BRS leaders of engaging in ‘diversionary politics’ through false narratives with vested interests. He alleged internal discord within the BRS, claiming attempts were being made to sideline senior leader T. Harish Rao, and said there was growing debate about the party’s political future.

Defending the Congress government, he said that people had given a clear mandate for five years and that the leadership of Mr. Revanth Reddy emerged from a struggle against “corruption and misrule”. He asserted that the current government would work to retain people’s trust over its full term.

Mr. Srinivas also criticised past claims by BRS leaders that the Congress government would collapse soon after its formation, noting that such assertions had proved unfounded. Referring to electoral trends, he said the Congress had improved its vote share over successive elections and had demonstrated its strength in municipal polls.

Taking a swipe at KTR, he alleged that his political rise was rooted in family influence, while contrasting it with Mr. Revanth Reddy’s background as a leader who emerged from among the people. He said comparisons between the two were misplaced. He added that upcoming local body elections would also reflect the support to Congress party.