Harish Rao dares Revanth Reddy to contest from Siddipet, predicts BRS return to power

BRS leader T Harish Rao challenged CM A Revanth Reddy to contest Siddipet, predicting Congress’s defeat in the next Assembly elections. He accused the government of neglecting weaker sections, misusing job appointments, and curtailing Assembly discussions

Hyderabad: BRSLP deputy leader and former Minister T Harish Rao threw down the gauntlet at Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy to contest from Siddipet, in response to the latter’s offer of a ministerial berth to any Congress leader winning Siddipet constituency. He predicted that the Congress government would not return to power in the next Assembly elections.

“Why send someone else? Revanth Reddy himself should come and contest against me in Siddipet. Let the people decide,” he said, adding that the present term would be Revanth Reddy’s last.

---

During an informal interaction with reporters at the Assembly on Wednesday, Harish Rao said the BRS would form the next government and party president K Chandrashekhar Rao would once again become the Chief Minister. “Even if Revanth Reddy stands on his head in penance, he will not become the Chief Minister again. The next government will be formed by the BRS,” he declared.

The BRSLP deputy leader accused the Congress government of deceiving all sections of society, particularly BCs, SCs, STs and minorities, by failing to implement its election guarantees. Citing replies given by the government in the Assembly, he said less than two per cent of the funds allocated for community welfare corporations were actually spent, calling it proof of neglect towards weaker sections.

“In the last two years, the Congress government spent Rs 6 crore of Rs 1,370 crore allocated to BC Corporation, Rs 52 crore of Rs 2,730 crore allocated to ST Corporation and Rs 74 crore of Rs 5,403 crore allocated to SC Corporation. Similar is the case of funds allocated to various communities in the State,” he said, adding that the Budget disappointed every section of society, prompting BRS legislators to protest in the House.

Harish Rao also said the government misled unemployed youth by taking credit for job appointments based on posts sanctioned during the previous BRS regime. Citing reply to question raised by BRS working president and Sircilla MLA KT Rama Rao, he said the government admitted to have issued 16 notifications and filling 16,978 jobs since the Congress came to power. “This government only handed over appointment letters to 50,785 people and taking credit for work done by the previous BRS government,” he said.

Criticising the conduct of Assembly proceedings, the BRSLP deputy leader said discussions were being curtailed and key questions were not being taken up. He said even Zero Hour was not being conducted regularly. He demanded that the Budget session be extended by a week to allow proper debate on public issues.

Welcoming delimitation and women’s reservation, Harish Rao felt that an increase in Assembly seats would ultimately benefit the BRS, while cautioning that Southern States could face disadvantages due to population-based delimitation for effectively implementing population control norms.

“As in football, we know when to score the goal,” he said, reiterating that the BRS would return to power in the next elections.