Hyderabad, December 3, 2025 – KT Rama Rao (KTR), the working president of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), launched a sharp attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, labeling him an "albatross around the neck of the Opposition". This scathing criticism came during KTR's keynote address at the IGNITION Summit in Chennai on Tuesday, where he also critiqued the BJP and positioned regional forces as a viable alternative.

KTR argued that Rahul Gandhi has inadvertently become "Prime Minister Narendra Modi's greatest strength". He claimed that Gandhi lacks a long-term vision on critical issues such as the economy, employment, innovation, industrialization, and infrastructure. "We have never heard Rahul Gandhi articulate a serious, coherent thought on any of these subjects," KTR stated. He further added that after Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi, the Congress party has failed to deliver anything of monumental significance for the country.

The BRS leader also accused Rahul Gandhi of maintaining a "conspiratorial silence" regarding the defection of BRS legislators to the Congress party in Telangana. He criticized Gandhi for frequently raising the issue of "vote chori" (vote theft) in national politics but remaining silent on what he described as "brazen MLA chori" (MLA theft) in Telangana. KTR argued that Gandhi should be ashamed of this "undemocratic and unconstitutional practice," deeming it a crime worse than vote theft.

KTR has previously attacked Rahul Gandhi on multiple occasions. In September 2024, he questioned Gandhi's remarks on the Telangana government's response to floods, asserting that the Congress leadership in the state had failed to fulfill its responsibilities during the crisis. He stated that the Congress government, led by the Chief Minister, had failed the people of Telangana, citing inadequate relief efforts and a lack of accountability.

In December 2024, KTR accused Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party of double standards regarding their stance on industrialist Gautam Adani. He pointed to alleged deals between the Telangana Congress, under Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, and Adani, which KTR said contradicted the party's national rhetoric against corruption and crony capitalism. KTR highlighted a controversy involving a donation of ₹100 crore and challenged Gandhi to clarify his party's position.

KTR's remarks come at a time when the opposition parties are trying to unite against the BJP-led government at the center. His criticism of Rahul Gandhi raises questions about the unity and leadership within the opposition ranks.