BRS's KT Rama Rao alleges Congress-BJP nexus, cites 2-year ED silence on Telangana minister
Synopsis
Two years after the ED raided 16 locations linked to Telangana Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy — with cash-counting machines reportedly brought to his residence — BRS leader KT Rama Rao is publicly asking why neither the agency nor the BJP-led Centre has disclosed what was found. His 'Ajab Prem ki Ghajab Kahani' taunt at Rahul Gandhi frames the silence as proof of a Congress-BJP understanding in Telangana.
Key Takeaways
BRS Working President K.T.
Rama Rao alleged a 'unholy nexus' between Congress and BJP in a post on X on 27 September 2026 .
The ED had raided 16 locations linked to Telangana Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy on 27 September 2024 in a money-laundering case.
Searches covered Srinivas Reddy's residence in Narsingi and offices in Jubilee Hills and Banjara Hills ; cash-counting machines were reportedly brought to his home.
No official statement on the outcome of the raids has been issued by the ED or the Union Government in the two years since.
Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy holds the portfolios of Revenue, Housing, and Information and Public Relations in Chief Minister Revanth Reddy's Cabinet.
Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Working President K.T. Rama Rao on Sunday, 27 September 2026, alleged a 'unholy nexus' between the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), pointing to the absence of any official outcome from Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids conducted exactly two years ago at premises linked to Telangana Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy. Rama Rao made the accusation via a post on X, tagging senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi directly.
The Two-Year-Old Raids That Sparked the Allegation
On 27 September 2024, ED teams from New Delhi conducted searches at 16 locations linked to Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy as part of a money-laundering case. The searches covered the minister's residence in Narsingi and his offices in Jubilee Hills and Banjara Hills, Hyderabad. Reports at the time indicated that several cash-counting machines were brought to his residence — a detail that made national headlines. The ED had also searched Srinivas Reddy's residence and offices in November 2023, during the Telangana Assembly election campaign period.
What KTR Said
In his post on X, Rama Rao wrote: 'Exactly two years since the Congress-BJP unholy nexus became official in Telangana. The Enforcement Directorate conducted raids at 16 locations linked to Congress minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy in connection with a money-laundering case on 27th Sept, 2024. Reports of several cash-counting machines being carried to his residence made headlines. Since then, neither the Enforcement Directorate nor the BJP-led Union Govt has offered any official statement on the outcome of the raids or disclosed details of what was seized.'
He further posted: 'The BJP hounds opposition leaders using various central agencies. Yet when the target is a Congress minister, there appears to be a deafening silence. Why is a minister belonging to Congress party enjoying immunity from the BJP? Ajab Prem ki Ghajab Kahani.' The post directly tagged Rahul Gandhi, framing the alleged silence as evidence of a political understanding between the two parties.
Who Is Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy
Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy is a key member of Chief Minister Revanth Reddy's Cabinet, holding the portfolios of Revenue, Housing, and Information and Public Relations. A businessman before entering politics, he owns a construction company named after his son, Raghava. He was elected to Parliament from Khammam on a YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) ticket in 2014 and subsequently joined the BRS, though the party denied him a ticket in the 2019 elections. He joined Congress ahead of the 2023 Assembly polls and won from the Palair Assembly constituency in Khammam district, earning a Cabinet berth shortly after.
The Broader Political Context
The BRS, which lost power in Telangana to Congress in the 2023 Assembly elections, has consistently sought to question the ruling party's conduct in government. Rama Rao's allegation taps into a widely-held opposition critique that central investigative agencies are selectively deployed against non-BJP governments. This comes amid a pattern of BRS leaders citing the absence of ED follow-through as indicative of a political arrangement — a charge both the BJP and Congress have denied in the past. Notably, no official response from either party was immediately available following Sunday's post.
With the two-year anniversary of the raids serving as a political flashpoint, the BRS's attack signals the party's intent to keep the issue alive as it attempts to rebuild its relevance in Telangana's opposition space.
Point of View
But the underlying charge is a familiar one: that the ED functions as an instrument of political pressure rather than an independent law-enforcement body. The more pointed question the BRS raises is why a money-laundering raid generating headlines about cash-counting machines produced no publicly disclosed outcome. If the raids yielded nothing significant, a closure report would have said so; the continued silence is itself a data point. For the BRS, now the principal opposition in Telangana, keeping this narrative alive is also about rebuilding relevance — a political calculation that should not obscure the legitimate accountability question at the heart of the allegation.
NationPress
27 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did KT Rama Rao allege about Congress and BJP in Telangana?
KT Rama Rao alleged that a 'unholy nexus' between Congress and BJP became visible two years ago when the ED raided premises linked to Telangana Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy but no official outcome was ever disclosed. He argued that the BJP-led Centre's silence on the case amounts to protecting a Congress minister.
When and where did the ED raid Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy?
The ED conducted searches at 16 locations linked to Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy on 27 September 2024 as part of a money-laundering case. The searches covered his residence in Narsingi and offices in Jubilee Hills and Banjara Hills, Hyderabad; the agency had also searched his premises in November 2023 during the Assembly election period.
Who is Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy?
Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy is a senior Congress leader and Cabinet minister in Telangana holding the Revenue, Housing, and Information and Public Relations portfolios. He was previously a YSRCP MP from Khammam (2014) and a BRS member before joining Congress ahead of the 2023 state elections, winning from Palair constituency in Khammam district.
Why has the BRS raised this issue now?
The BRS raised the issue on 27 September 2026 — exactly two years after the ED raids — to highlight the absence of any official outcome from the investigations. The move also reflects BRS's broader strategy of questioning the ruling Congress government and its relationship with the BJP-led Centre as the party rebuilds its opposition standing in Telangana.
Has either the ED, BJP or Congress responded to the allegation?
According to available reports, no official response from the ED, the BJP-led Union Government, or the Congress party was immediately available following KT Rama Rao's post on Sunday.
