BJP eyes strong show in Hyd. citizen polls

BJP state president N. Ramchander Rao on Tuesday expressed confidence in a strong showing in the upcoming elections to the three municipal corporations in the Hyderabad region, referring to the party’s MLAs in the area.

Interacting with urban leaders at the party’s state office, Mr. Rao said a victory in the civic polls would pave the way for the BJP to emerge as a ruling force in Telangana. Recalling the party’s performance in the 2020 Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) elections, he noted that the BJP won 48 seats on its own despite facing the combined might of the then TRS and AIMIM. According to him, the result reflects the growing public confidence in the party.

Mr. Rao emphasized that only “loyal and hardworking” cadres who are active in the field and maintain close contact with the people will get party tickets. He warned against internal dissension, saying that factionalism would not be tolerated. “Public acceptability and winning will be key criteria in selecting candidates,” he added.

In a separate press conference, former NVSS MLA Prabhakar accused the Congress and the BRS of “pretending to oppose each other in public while protecting each other behind closed doors”. He argued that the BRS, which had been in power for a decade, and the ruling Congress were working in a “collusive relationship” to protect each other’s political interests.

He further claimed that several senior BRS leaders, including K. Chandrasekhar Rao, KT Rama Rao and T. Harish Rao, were facing legal battles over alleged irregularities during their tenure and said it was “ridiculous” that they were now criticizing the BJP.

Meanwhile, Chevella Konda MP Vishweshwar Reddy said fuel prices in India remain among the lowest despite the ongoing geopolitical tensions in West Asia. He attributed the price pressures to oil bonds issued during the UPA regime and claimed that both the previous BRS government and the current Congress government had imposed heavy taxes to compensate for cuts made by the Centre.

Published – 19 May 2026 21:17 IST