Shaik Abdullah Sohail alleges Congress BJP alliance in Telangana municipalities
Hyderabad: Senior BRS leader Shaik Abdullah Sohail on Wednesday alleged a Congress BJP alliance in Telangana municipalities to prevent his party from securing leadership posts after the recent indirect civic elections.
He said the elections held on February 16 for chairpersons, vice-chairpersons, mayors and deputy mayors exposed what he termed a “clear Congress–BJP bond” at the local level. Ward results declared on February 13, he added, triggered backroom negotiations between the two national parties.
According to Sohail, both parties projected rivalry in public. However, he claimed they worked together in municipalities to divide posts and sideline the BRS even where it had numerical strength. “For the sake of power, they have abandoned ideology,” he said.
As an example, he cited Narsapur. There, he alleged, the Congress secured the chairperson post while the BJP took the vice-chairperson position under a mutual understanding. In Sirpur Kagaznagar, he claimed that despite the BRS winning 11 seats, the two parties combined to claim the top posts.
In Aliabad, he said the Congress won the chairperson post with support from BJP councillors. Likewise, in Metpally, he alleged that the Congress backed the BJP for leadership. Similar arrangements, he claimed, unfolded in Amangal and Medak.
Congress BJP alliance shapes civic leadership outcomes, alleges Sohail
Turning to other towns, Sohail claimed that in Kyathanpally, Thorrur, Jangaon and Zaheerabad, leaders attempted to block the BRS from assuming the chairperson role. He alleged that authorities used administrative machinery and maintained police presence to influence outcomes.
He also accused rival parties of intimidating councillors and pressuring officials. Such actions, he argued, undermine democratic norms and reflect fear of the BRS’s strength.
At the same time, Sohail pointed to what he described as contradictions in political conduct. While Congress leader Rahul Gandhi opposes the BJP nationally, he said the Telangana Congress under Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy aligns with it locally. He further questioned whether BJP leaders G. Kishan Reddy and Bandi Sanjay were aware of the alleged cooperation.
Referring to overall results, Sohail acknowledged that the Congress secured 86 chairperson and mayor posts out of 112 declared. The BRS won 18, whereas the BJP secured two. Nevertheless, he maintained that several outcomes reflected tactical cross-party support rather than independent mandates.
He also alleged that in some urban pockets the Congress aligned with AIMIM, while in North Telangana it coordinated with the BJP. Therefore, he said the Congress BJP alliance in municipalities raised serious questions about consistency.
Sohail concluded that the people of Telangana would respond politically to what he termed an “immoral alliance.” He added that the BRS would continue to challenge what it described as opportunistic municipal politics.
