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Hyderabad: Nizamabad Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Arvind Dharmapuri on Monday, May 18, distanced himself from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s widely discussed “mere se jodo” remark directed at Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, saying he was “just a small karyakarta” in the party and was not aware of any link between the two leaders.

“I don’t know if there is any link between Modi and Revanth. I am just a small karyakarta in BJP,” Dharmapuri said.

‘Revanth might turn out to be like Suvendu Adhikari’

The MP also drew a pointed comparison between Revanth Reddy and West Bengal BJP leader and Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, who began his political career in the Congress before switching sides.

“He might turn out like Suvendu Adhikari in Bengal,” he said. 

The remark was widely read as a suggestion that Revanth could follow a similar trajectory.

Notably, Dharmapuri’s own family has Congress roots. His father, Dharmapuri Srinivas, was a Congress leader until his death recently, and his elder brother remains a member of the party.

What Modi said

The controversy stems from a remark PM Modi made during his visit to Hyderabad last week, delivered in the presence of Revanth Reddy. “Aap jahan pahunchna chahte hain, nahi pahunch payenge. Aur isliye achha hai ki mere se hi jodo (You cannot reach where you aim to reach. Hence, it is better you join me),” Modi said.

The comment set off immediate political speculation about the nature of the relationship between the Prime Minister and the Congress Chief Minister of Telangana.

Revanth plays it down

Revanth Reddy, speaking at an event organised by Way2News, sought to defuse the controversy, saying the exchange was about cooperation between the state and central governments and had no political subtext.

“PM Modi is aware of my commitment to politics,” he said.