Hyderabad MLC polls: Ponnam slams Bandi Sanjay for communal remarks

Hyderabad: Telangana Transport and BC Welfare minister Ponnam Prabhakar has announced that the Congress party will file a complaint with the Election Commission against the BJP for allegedly threatening voters by urging them to vote based on religious identity.

Prabhakar condemned Union Minister and Karimnagar MP Bandi Sanjay’s statements, in which he reportedly told Hindutva supporters to vote for the BJP in the upcoming Hyderabad Local Authorities Constituency (LAC) elections, warning that those who abstain would be considered “not Hindus.”

Bandi’s remarks violate EC’s code of conduct: Ponnam

Prabhakar described these remarks as a blatant attempt to communalise the polls and a violation of the Election Commission’s Code of Conduct.

Prabhakar criticised Bandi Sanjay’s rhetoric as inflammatory and divisive, questioning the logic behind equating Hindu identity with voting for the BJP. He urged that elections should be fought on issues and ideology rather than religious provocations.

The minister also condemned provocative BJP banners displayed at corporators’ residences, suggesting the party is trying to create a “Hindutva frenzy” despite lacking sufficient votes to win.

BJP’s chances slim: Ponnam

He highlighted that out of the 112 total votes in the Hyderabad LAC election, AIMIM holds a clear majority with 50 votes, BJP and BRS have 24 votes each, and Congress has 14, making BJP’s chances of victory slim without alliances.

Prabhakar further alleged that the BJP and BRS initially planned to contest together, but BRS withdrew after realising it would not secure a majority.

He also condemned BJP MP Nishikant Dubey’s recent controversial remarks about the Constitution and judiciary, calling for his suspension from the party. He accused BJP leaders of provoking people while pretending to defend democratic institutions.

Congress’ campaign

To counter what he described as the BJP’s dual strategy, the Congress has launched the “Jai Bapu, Jai Bhim, Jai Samvidhan” campaign to expose the BJP’s communal tactics and reaffirm Congress’s commitment to constitutional values.

Prabhakar concluded by contrasting the parties’ approaches, stating, “We believe in democracy. They believe in dictatorship”