Munugode Bypoll A Fight Between Modi's Arrogance And People's Self-Respect: Telangana Minister KTR

KTR said that he was committed to the word given by Energy Minister Jagadish Reddy that TRS would withdraw its candidate if the Centre gave Rs 18,000 crore for the development of Nalgonda.

Working president of Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) KT Rama Rao said on Tuesday said the party would withdraw its Munugode bypoll candidate if the BJP government at the Centre offered an amount equal to the contract value awarded to BJP candidate Rajagopal Reddy for the development of the constituency.

KTR said that he was committed to the word given by Energy Minister Jagadish Reddy that TRS would withdraw its candidate if the Centre gave Rs 18,000 crore for the development of Nalgonda.

He said BJP was hoping to buy the people of Munugode as a "commodity" by buying a contractor and reiterated that Rajagopal Reddy promised the BJP leadership that he would spend Rs 500 crore in the bypolls.

"This bye-election is a fight between Narendra Modi's arrogance and the self-respect of the people of Munugode," he said.

Rajagopal Reddy recently left the Congress and is now contesting as a BJP candidate in the November 3 bye-election. In an interview with a Telugu channel, Rajagopal Reddy admitted that his infrastructure firm bagged a Rs 18,000 contract.

Reddy has received criticism from the TRS and Congress for imposing a bypoll on Munugode for the sake of the contract.

Meanwhile, posters have come up in the constituency highlighting that Rajagopal Reddy switched loyalties to the BJP after bagging the Rs 18,000 crore contract.

The posters have come up in the format of a digital payment app, similar to the 'PayCM' posters seen in Karnataka recently used by the Congress to target Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai. Using a fictitious name "ContractPe", it declares that Rs 18,000 crore contract was awarded to Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy.

KTR shared a video clip from a debate on a Telugu television channel. During the discussion, Rajagopal Reddy disclosed that the company received a contract for Rs 18,000 crore in a competitive bid about six months ago while he has been discussing joining BJP for the last three years.

(With inputs from ABP Desam — It is a Telugu platform of ABP News. For more news, commentary and latest happenings from two Telugu states, follow https://telugu.abplive.com//amp)