Srihari blasts KCR; defends ditching BRS

Station Ghanpur MLA Kadiyam Srihari slammed former CM K Chandrashekar Rao for engaging in politics while confining himself to his farmhouse only. He said the BRS chief disrupted the politic system in the State.

Speaking at a press meet here on Friday, Kdiyam said he never asked anyone for posts—KCR himself called him from Delhi and made him Deputy CM. He clarified that he never supported defections, but he prioritised constituency development over personal choices, which is why he joined the Congress.

Srihari questioned why, during the BRS rule, when 36 MLAs were inducted and two given minister posts, KCR didn’t make even one of them resign. “Why did those values not exist then? Are you remembering them only now,” he asked. “When you do it, it’s called family; when others do it, you call it prostitution,” he criticised.

Indirectly targeting former MLA Dr Tatikonda Rajaiah, Srihari said, “forgetting culture and decency, indulging in personal criticism instead of political debate is not good. I too can speak like them, but my education and respect in society stop me from using such language. I leave their comments to their wisdom.”

He alleged that some who were MLAs for 15 years did nothing for their constituencies, engaged in corruption, sold schemes like Dalit Bandhu, and even B-forms, and now act like saints. “If you talk about policies or development, I can respond, but I won’t answer such cheap comments. People like these are the reason politics is corrupted,” he observed.

Srihari reminded that people elected him to work for constituency development; that is why he is working with the government to make up for the loss of 15 years. “When I was in office, I did not encroach lands, I did not do settlements, I did not indulge in corruption. I worked only for district and constituency development,” he clarified.

Targeting Rajaiah, he said, “you were rejected by people and parties. When you went door to door in Delhi asking to be taken back into the party, you were rejected. Women in Medaram even performed pujas praying you should not return to the Congress. Yet you now make allegations against me.”

Srihari emphasised that no matter how much personal criticism comes his way, he will not back down from working for people’s development.

“The Speaker has issued notices to all of us. I will submit my explanation by the month-end. The future course depends on the Speaker’s decision. I am not the first or last to switch parties. I never bowed before anyone, and Kadiyam Srihari will always remain an icon,” he declared.

He expressed gratitude to Station Ghanpur people for giving him political life and said, “whatever position and name I have today is because of their blessing.” He thanked CM Revanth Reddy for focusing on constituency development.

He detailed ongoing development in 21 months, works worth Rs 1,025 crore initiated; irrigation, education, health and power given priority; with Rs 148 crore, repairs to the Devadula canals ensured the Godavari water reached tail-end ayacut; for the first time, tanks in Lingala Ghanpur mandal were filled; with revised estimates of Rs 1,015 crore, works under the Devadula Phase III, package VI will irrigate 78,000 acres in four constituencies.

Srihari promised to bring the Godavari waters to every village in the constituency within a year; approved Young India Integrated Residential School and a government degree college with Rs200 crore; a 100-bed hospital with Rs 45.5 crore under construction in the constituency centre; several sub-stations established to prevent electricity issues for farmers. “All this was possible only because of the government,” he concluded.