Congress failed Telangana on every front, BRS return to power inevitable: KTR
BRS working president KT Rama Rao announced a major organisational revamp, launched a sharp attack on the Congress government and predicted the party's return to power in 2028. He also ruled out any alliance with the BJP and defended BRS governance.
Hyderabad: BRS working president KT Rama Rao on Wednesday said the Bharat Rashtra Samithi was preparing for a comprehensive organisational overhaul ahead of the next Assembly elections. Accusing the Congress government of pushing Telangana backwards through failed governance, broken promises and diversionary politics, he declared that the return of the BRS to power with over 90 seats in 2028 was inevitable.
Participating in a Meet the Press programme organised by the Press Club of Hyderabad, Rama Rao said the party would launch a membership drive this month, constitute committees from the booth level to the State level and conduct extensive cadre training programmes. “I challenge Chief Minister Revanth Reddy not to seek votes without implementing the 420 promises made during the 2023 Assembly elections. He claims he will remain the Chief Minister of the State till 2028. If he has such confidence, I dare him to dissolve the Assembly and seek the people’s mandate. If elections are held now, the BRS will return to power with over 90 seats,” he said.
He said the objective was to strengthen the organisation and equip party workers for future electoral battles, while continuing to raise public issues and expose government failures.
On the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, he said the BRS had deployed over 71,000 booth-level activists to monitor the exercise and prevent the deletion of genuine voters. The party was also scrutinising suspected duplicate entries.
Stating that Telangana under former Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao achieved unprecedented development, he called it the most successful start-up State in independent India. He maintained that the Congress came to power by making false promises that people believed, but was now facing growing public dissatisfaction as those assurances remained unfulfilled.
On the controversial remarks by former BRS MLA Balka Suman regarding a militant movement, Rama Rao said he disagreed with any call for militancy and stressed that the BRS would continue to pursue democratic and peaceful struggles. At the same time, he questioned the selective enforcement of law, pointing to instances where Congress leaders, including Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, allegedly made provocative statements but faced no cases.
A significant portion of the interaction focused on the government’s proposed Future City project. The former Minister reiterated the BRS stand that there was no Future City and alleged that land acquired over seven years for the Pharma City project under the Land Acquisition Act could not legally be diverted for real-estate ventures or other purposes. Pointing out that the Congress government was presenting different versions before the courts and the public, he declared that the BRS would cancel the project upon assuming power.
Rama Rao dismissed criticism from Union Minister G Kishan Reddy regarding alleged family rule in Telangana politics, accusing the BJP of applying different standards to regional leaders across the country. He also rejected Congress claims that the BRS had left Telangana financially weakened, arguing that official figures did not support such allegations.
On Centre-State relations, the BRS working president accused the BJP of neglecting Telangana’s interests over the past 12 years. He said the Centre had not only failed to fulfil assurances made to Telangana under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, but had also conspired to disturb the State by transferring seven mandals, including the Lower Sileru project, from the erstwhile Khammam district to Andhra Pradesh without any intimation. He alleged that there had been attempts to undermine Telangana’s interests from the beginning.
Responding to Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s challenge on free power for farmers, Rama Rao questioned the rationale behind the proposed Rythu DISCOM. He asked why a separate distribution company was necessary when the previous BRS government supplied uninterrupted free power without one. He sought clarity on the government’s stand regarding electricity meters for agricultural pump sets and the implications of joining the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS). Turning the challenge back on the Congress, he dared the ruling party to seek votes only after implementing what he called its 420 election promises.
The former Minister accused the Congress government of diverting public attention through controversies over statues. While stating that the BRS had no objection to installing a statue of NT Rama Rao at Ameerpet, he criticised the redesign of Telangana Thalli and the installation of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s statue opposite the State Secretariat. He said such issues were being used to distract from governance failures.
On reservations in government contracts, he questioned Congress leaders for failing to implement manifesto commitments relating to BC, SC and ST reservations. He also alleged inconsistencies between public statements and actual contract awards.
Explaining the BRS performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Rama Rao said the contest had largely become a referendum on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He pointed out that several regional parties across the country suffered setbacks under similar circumstances and maintained that electoral victories and defeats were part of politics.
He dismissed the Congress government’s renewed focus on the Tummidihatti project as a diversionary exercise, arguing that the proposal had remained unviable because of opposition from Maharashtra. He said the previous government had instead pursued the Kaleshwaram project after extensive consultations.
Reflecting on the 2023 Assembly election defeat, he argued that the BRS lost by only a narrow margin despite contesting alone and remained confident of returning to power in 2028 without alliances. He said public opinion was increasingly turning against the Congress as people realised its false promises and failed governance.
The former Minister criticised the government’s handling of agriculture, stating that crop diversification discussions were merely distractions from core issues. He also accused the administration of deliberately reducing paddy procurement targets and avoiding commitments such as the Rs 500 per quintal bonus.
On Hyderabad’s drinking water issues, Rama Rao said delays following the collapse of a retaining wall at the Sunkishala project had affected supply. He accused the government of failing to act against the construction agency and claimed that existing infrastructure created under the BRS regime was not being properly maintained.
Ruling out the possibility of a BRS-BJP alliance, the BRS working president said the Congress and BJP were effectively protecting each other in Telangana. He questioned the lack of action on several allegations involving leaders from both parties and dismissed speculation that he might move to national politics or become a Union Minister in the future. He reiterated that there would be no alliance with the BJP and that his focus remained firmly on Telangana politics and rebuilding the BRS.
He also dismissed speculation about the political debut of his son Himanshu, calling the recent discussions unnecessary. He attributed the buzz to social media posts from a temple visit with friends.
Addressing journalists’ long-pending demand for house sites, Rama Rao opined that the Congress government was misleading journalists with the promise of house sites near Future City. Instead, he suggested that the government allot house sites at Manchirevula, Budwel or any other location closer to Hyderabad. He offered to write a letter to the Chief Minister in this regard. He recalled that the previous BRS government allotted land to journalists in several districts but could not do so in Hyderabad due to legal hurdles. He assured journalists that he would identify suitable land and ensure allotments after the BRS returned to power.
Meanwhile, the BRS leader defended K Chandrashekhar Rao’s relative absence from public life, stating that the former Chief Minister remained visible through irrigation projects, drinking water schemes and power infrastructure across Telangana. “KCR is fully aware of when to shift our Car (election symbol) gears. As the party’s foot soldiers, we are taking up his ideas to the people,” he added. He announced that he was likely to undertake a padayatra next year after consultations within the party.
He also opposed any delimitation exercise that could reduce the southern States’ representation in Parliament, arguing that the South should not be penalised for successfully implementing family planning policies.
Predicting a prolonged decline for the Congress in Telangana, Rama Rao said public anger was growing among farmers, youth, employees and other sections. Calling the recent Cockroach Janata Party and other youth-driven political expressions a reflection of wider dissatisfaction, he emphasised the need for political parties to align their actions with the growing aspirations of the people.
Responding to criticism that he appeared arrogant, Rama Rao said he could not adopt artificial behaviour to please anyone and that his emotions were genuine. He insisted that no one had been able to point out any specific instance of arrogance on his part.
