BRS working president urges suo motu cognisance over SIR concerns; demands 24-hour power supply for farmers
Hyderabad, Sept 2026 : Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president K.T. Rama Rao on Wednesday urged the Supreme Court to take suo motu cognisance of concerns surrounding the functioning of the Election Commission of India (ECI) and order an inquiry monitored by the top court.
Speaking at a press conference, Rama Rao said the ECI, as a constitutional body, must remain above suspicion and argued that only the Supreme Court had the credibility to conduct an impartial examination of the issues being raised. He said the reported objections within the poll panel had created a “crisis of confidence” and called for greater transparency in the electoral process.
“ECI is a constitutional body. We cannot believe any other agency to investigate other than the Supreme Court of India,” Rama Rao said, urging the court to take cognisance of concerns raised by Election Commissioners and conduct a suo motu inquiry. He said such an exercise could help establish the facts and address doubts surrounding the poll panel's functioning.
Rama Rao recalled that he had earlier led a BRS delegation to New Delhi to meet the three Election Commissioners and raise concerns over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. He said the party had also submitted its concerns during the Bihar elections, seeking clarification on the process, removal of ambiguities and greater transparency.
His remarks came amid a wider political controversy over reported differences within the Election Commission regarding aspects of the SIR exercise. The ECI has maintained that differences of opinion are part of institutional deliberations and that decisions taken by the full Commission, including those relating to SIR, were unanimous.
Rama Rao said that despite representations made by his party, questions regarding the impartiality and functioning of the poll body continued to persist. He argued that a Supreme Court-monitored inquiry was necessary to examine the concerns and help restore public confidence in the electoral process.
The BRS leader also turned his attention to the power situation in Telangana, accusing the Congress government of failing to ensure uninterrupted electricity supply. He claimed that the previous BRS government had increased the state's power generation capacity from 7,778 MW to around 20,000 MW after Telangana's formation and invested about Rs 1 lakh crore in the power sector.
Rama Rao alleged that the current situation had pushed the state backwards and criticised Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka's reported reference to the El Nino effect. In a sarcastic remark, he said, “This is not El Nino, but El Congo.”
He further alleged that poor-quality coal supplies were affecting generation at thermal power stations. Recent BRS statements have also alleged disruptions at Yadadri, Kothagudem and Bhadradri plants, though these claims are disputed political allegations.
Rama Rao demanded 24-hour power supply for farmers and announced that the BRS would launch a protest over the issue.
