Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao appears to have become a punching bag for the two rival political parties — the BJP and the Congress — over his purported role in the evolving situation in neighbouring Karnataka.

While the Telangana BJP leaders accuse him of working for the JD(S)-Congress alliance, the Congress has alleged KCR is hand-in-glove with the BJP.

The attacks from both the sides have become more pronounced even as KCR is yet to decide whether he will attend the swearing-in ceremony of Karnataka Chief Minister-designate H.D. Kumaraswamy.

Telangana BJP President K. Lakshman alleged KCR was responsible for organising camp for the JD(S) Congress legislators in Hyderabad and they were transported back to Bengaluru inn uses owned by a TRS leader.

“TRS is acting as if it has become the Telangana unit of JD(S),” Lakshman said. “It is also clear now that KCR was working for the benefit of Congress against the BJP.”

Another senior BJP leader from Telangana Bandaru Dattatreya went a step farther and said KCR as well as Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu were leaning towards the Congress-led UPA.

“Both the chief ministers are indirectly helping Congress to create trouble for the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” Dattatreya told journalists.

Referring to Naidu’s criticism of the BJP for attempting to form a government in Karnataka he recalled the chief minister had also lured some MLAs from the YSRCP and made them ministers in his government.

Taking a potshot at Naidu, Dattatreya said he didn’t have any right to point a finger at the BJP as he came to power by back-stabbing his father-in-law, N.T. Rama Rao, in 1995.

He also targeted KCR by saying through his proposed Federal Front he was trying to help the Congress.

Interestingly the Telangana unit of Congress had also made the same allegation against KCR. Senior congressman and leader of opposition in Telangana legislative council Mohammad Ali Shabbir alleged that KCR was helping Narendra Modi in expanding saffron empire in south India.

“CM KCR an invisible and trusted lieutenant of the BJP central leadership”, Shabbir said. “TDP and YCRCP also have a tacit understanding with the BJP”, he said. “Awareness should be raise that all partners TRS in Telangana and TDP and YSRCP in Andhra Pradesh were also demonic like the BJP”, he said.