BJP’s Ramchander Rao shrugs off ‘Cockroach Party’, slams Congress, BRS for stirring Telangana sentiment

Telangana BJP president N. Ramchander Rao on Thursday (June 4, 2026) dismissed the fledgling ‘Cockroach Party’ as a “social media creation with no real base among youth or Gen Z,” likening it to “Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and other urban Naxal groups.”

“There is nothing to worry about. People of this country know how to use ‘HIT’ (anti-cockroach spray),” he said, speaking at the ‘Meet the Press’ programme organised by the Hyderabad Press Club as part of Telangana Formation Week celebrations. He asserted that Gen Z remains rooted in Indian ethos, heritage and history, and “will not fall into the trap of those funded by George Soros.”

Mr. Rao acknowledged that young people have the right to express discontent, noting the presence of several student organisations across the country. However, he maintained that the Cockroach Party exists only on social media. “These are frustrated political efforts without lasting support. They are momentary,” he said.

The BJP leader also criticised the ruling Congress and the BRS for attempting to revive the “Telangana sentiment,” alleging both parties had failed to deliver good governance or meet people’s aspirations. “People have rejected both parties because their governments failed to ensure development or address public concerns. Now, they are trying to revive a non-issue for political gain,” he argued.

Mr. Rao termed it “cheap politics” to target Jana Sena Party (JSP) leader Pawan Kalyan, insisting he should have been permitted to hold a public meeting. “He has every right to question the government. In a democracy, one can contest from anywhere. Former PM P.V. Narasimha Rao contested from Maharastra. Hasn’t BRS opened an office in A.P. and appointed a president there? Why did KCR distribute T.S. money for farmers in Punjab and Maharastra,” he asked.

The Congress and BRS had grown uneasy after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visits to the residences of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Mr. Pawan Kalyan in Hyderabad. “That is why they are attempting to stir the Telangana sentiment again,” he alleged.

Turning the tables, Mr. Rao questioned the two parties over their ties with the Majlis party, which had opposed Telangana’s formation and about the inclusion of those who criticised the Statehood movement in the previous BRS government. The BJP had supported bifurcation bill unconditionally in the Parliament unlike other parties, he said.

The BJP prioritises “development and people’s welfare,” while Hindutva remains its “core ideological base, not a political tool,” he affirmed. The party continues to strengthen its presence in the South, he said, citing gains in Kerala, where it won three MLAs and increased its vote share, and in Puducherry through coalition success.

It has already made inroads in Karnataka and said Telangana’s voters are increasingly inclined towards a “double-engine” government, he claimed. If Chief Minister Revanth Reddy sought the BJP’s assistance, the party could facilitate a meeting with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, while questioning why securing such appointments should be difficult when former was able to meet the PM often.