Telangana Election 2023: TV debate turns violent! BRS MLA holds BJP candidate by his throat

In a dramatic scene, a Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLA assaulted a BJP candidate during a news channel debate show on Wednesday.

BRS MLA KP Vivekananda Goud representing Telangana’s Quthbullapur constituency assaulted BJP candidate Kuna Srisailam Goud, who will be contesting the Telangana Assembly polls, during a debate hosted by a Telugu news channel. Vivekananda was seen on camera grabbing Goud’s throat.

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Telangana BJP chief G Kishan Reddy denounced Vivekananda’s actions and called it as an act of aggression. Sharing the video on X, Reddy wrote, “The hallmark of BRS – Goondaism. BJP MLA candidate from Quthuballapur @KunaSrisailam attacked by BRS sitting MLA. It’s shocking when a contesting opposition candidate is attacked and scuffled in open public, imagine if BRS returns to power even common people will be attacked in same manner?”

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝗕𝗥𝗦 – 𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗺BJP MLA candidate from Quthuballapur @KunaSrisailam attacked by BRS sitting MLA.It’s shocking when a contesting opposition candidate is attacked and scuffled in open public, imagine if BRS returns to power even common… pic.twitter.com/h4kj3m9ydw

— G Kishan Reddy (@kishanreddybjp) October 25, 2023

“Telangana people beware,” he added.

Reacting to the behaviour of the BRS MLA, BJP senior leader and OBC Morcha chief K Laxman told news agency ANI, “When the TV debate is going on naturally opposition leader puts a lot of question, so answer the question and face it. But due to frustration and depression, as they (BRS) are losing ground, he (BRS MLA) physically assaulted a BJP candidate, this shows how BRS is in total depression.”

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“They are now losing the battle so imagine how government machinery and money corruption taking place. This gentleman was questioned on land grabbing and corruption, so he lost his temper. We strongly condemn it and we demand that the police book a case and arrest the fellow, otherwise, the BJP will take legal action,” he added.

He also urged the election commission to take strict action against him, demanding disqualification from contesting the election.

“We demand to disqualify him from the contest and we also will appeal to the election commission to take immediate action against him. This is a message to the people of Telangana that they (BRS) may cross any limit in the election. This happened in front of thousands of people in a TV debate, so you can imagine how the abuse of power of this ruling party BRS has been” K Laxman stated.

Meanwhile, BRS spokesperson Sravan Dasoju told PTI that the scuffle erupted due to Kuna Srisailam Goud, the BJP candidate, making a reference to the BRS MLA’s father. He emphasized that both individuals were expected to maintain decorum during the debate.

“Both could have been sensible and realized the whole world is watching them,” Dasoju was quoted as saying by PTI.

Telangana Elections 2023

The assembly elections in Telangana are scheduled for November 30, with vote counting set for December 3. Telangana is poised for an intriguing triangular contest between the BRS, Congress, and BJP.

In the previous Assembly elections in 2018, the BRS secured 88 out of 119 seats, claiming 47.4 per cent of the total vote share. The Congress finished a distant second with 19 seats and a vote share of 28.7 per cent.

(With ANI Inputs)