Telangana state Congress chief A. Revanth Reddy on Friday launched a scathing attack on Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for what he called trying to buy voters in Munugode by-election.

He said both the parties were trying to influence the voters with money and muscle power. The Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) chief was addressing a rally in Chandur on the occasion of Congress candidate Palvai Sravanti filing her nomination for November 3 by-election to the Assembly seat.

Revanth Reddy stated that the people of Munugode are not ready to be sold to TRS or BJP. He claimed that the Congress party’s strength is its workers.

“Our workers are not contractors to sell themselves,a he said in a dig at BJP candidate Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy, who recently admitted that his company bagged Rs 18,000 crore contract from the Central government.

Rajagopal Reddy, who was elected from Munugode on Congress ticket in 2018, resigned from the party recently to join BJP. He also quit as MLA, causing the vacancy.

Revanth Reddy said the by-election was not caused for the development of the constituency but because of a person who sold himself.

“This man out of his thirst for wealth betrayed a mother-like party and joined the enemy,” he said and urged people to teach him a lesson.

The Congress leader ridiculed the promise made by TRS leader K.T. Rama Rao to adopt Munugode if TRS candidate wins the by-election. He recalled that Rama Rao had made a similar promise to defeat him in Kodangal Assembly constituency in 2018 but went back on his word.

Revanth Reddy said Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao will also make tall promises to people of Munugode but after the by-election he will forget all the promises.

The TPCC chief said in 2014 people of Munugode elected TRS candidate but there was no development in the constituency.

Congress Legislature Party (CLP) Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, MP Uttam Kumar Reddy, MLA Seethakka and others were present.