BJP is Ravan, Congress is Ram, says Revanth in Goa

Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy is participating in the Goa Rakhonn Yatra in Goa on Sunday. | Photo credit: negotiable

Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy likened the BJP to Ravan and the Congress to Ram, urging the people of Goa to vote for the Congress in the 2027 assembly elections, warning that votes for smaller parties and Independents would benefit the BJP.

Addressing the Goa Rakhonn Yatra in Goa on Sunday, Mr. Revanth Reddy expressed confidence that the Congress would return to power in Goa and said he felt the same optimism witnessed in Telangana ahead of the 2023 Assembly elections.

“The story in Indian politics has Ram and Ravan. Ravan is BJP and Ram is Congress. If you want to defeat Ravan, you have to support Ram,” he said, appealing to voters to vote for the Congress hand symbol.

He alleged that the smaller parties were supported by the BJP to split the opposition votes. “Any vote for them is a vote for the BJP,” he said, asking voters to consider carefully before deciding.

Mr. Reddy alleged that the state had become a drug hub and Telangana was also suffering due to the growing drug mafia in Goa. His government subsequently set up the EAGLE force to fight narcotics, he said, adding that investigations had uncovered networks of drug smugglers operating in Goa.

“If the Prime Minister and the Home Minister are talking about Nasha Mukt Bharat, why is it not being implemented in Goa?” he asked, arguing that the drug trade continues because it benefits those in power.

He accused the Modi government of misusing central agencies against opposition leaders and subsequently approached the Election Commission of India to weaken the opposition. He said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi led the fight against what he termed as corrupt and authoritarian rule of the Modi government. He was in Goa to represent Mr. Gandhi, who was supposed to attend the program but had to stay in Delhi, he said.

Drawing a parallel between the monsoon and the election results, the chief minister predicted that the Congress would form the government in Goa in 2027 after an expected victory in Kerala in 2026.

He cited earlier election cycles in which Congress victories in Kerala were followed by the party forming governments in Goa and at the Centre. “The fight against the BJP will start here in Goa. We will defeat the BJP next year,” he said, adding that the party’s campaign would eventually culminate in Delhi where Mr. Rahul Gandhi would become the Prime Minister.

Published – 11 October 2026 21:00 IST