Adani, Megha donations prove that politics makes strange bedfellows

Two significant donations for the Congress government's Young India Skills University come from previously criticised figures, prompting comparisons to past remarks about the BJP, highlighting the party's shifting alliances

Hyderabad: There are no permanent enemies in politics. Have any doubts? Look at what is happening in Telangana. Two of the recent major donations for the Congress government’s Young India Skills University project are from names that Congress leaders, including Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, used to criticise in the most bitter of ways. In fact, some are drawing parallels from the current clean chits given to the new friends of the Congress to the ‘washing powder Nirma’ jibe at BJP.

The episode can be traced back to October 19, when Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani met Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and donated Rs.100 crore for the Young India Skills University. On Saturday, Megha Engineering Infrastructure Limited (MEIL) on Saturday donated Rs.200 crore for the university and came forward to construct the buildings required in the university campus.

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Now, some flashback. When in Opposition and when he was the TPCC president, Revanth Reddy had trained his guns at both the Adani Group and MEIL Group, accusing them of looting the people’s money. In Adani’s case, the Rs.100 crore donation triggered questions on how Adani was trying to get the State government’s support for the Ambuja Cement factory, which has an investment of Rs.1,400 crore at Ramannapet in Yadadri Bhongir district, especially with the local population up in arms against the project.

On the other hand, while he was TPCC president, Revanth Reddy had compared the Megha Group to the “East India Company”, saying it was looting the Telangana people’s money. He even went on to say that MEIL Group Managing Director Krishna Reddy was serving as CEO of both Telugu States after securing mega projects in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana “by offering commissions”. Then, after the Congress came to power, things changed.

On August 1, the retaining wall of the under-construction intake well and pump house complex at Sunkishala, collapsed, affecting plans to draw water from Nagarjuna Sagar to meet the drinking water requirements of Hyderabad. It was MEIL who was awarded the project work. Despite the BRS demanding stern action against the MEIL, the Congress government did not initiate any action so far. BRS working president KT Rama Rao wanted the government to blacklist the MEIL and conduct a thorough enquiry into the incident. However, the MEIL, according to the BRS, was instead given more projects, including the Narayanpet Kodangal Lift Irrigation project.

And now, the MEIL has come forward to join Adani in helping the government with the Skills varsity project. Politics does make strange bedfellows!