Harish Rao reaffirms KCR’s leadership, hits out at Congress over Kaleshwaram project

BRS leader T Harish Rao reiterated that K Chandrashekhar Rao remains the party’s supreme leader, dismissing Kavitha’s allegations. Speaking in London, he attacked the Congress government over the Kaleshwaram project, urea crisis, and real estate issues, while highlighting KCR’s flagship welfare and irrigation schemes

Hyderabad: Former Telangana minister and Siddipet MLA T Harish Rao sought to put an end to speculations over disputes within the BRS by firmly reiterating that K Chandrashekhar Rao remains the supreme leader of the party. He indirectly countered recent allegations by suspended MLC K Kavitha, who accused him of conspiring to oust her and plotting against Chandrashekhar Rao and party working president KT Rama Rao.

In an interaction with the BRS NRI cadre in London on Friday, Harish Rao avoided naming Kavitha directly and stated that BRS functions collectively under Chandrashekhar Rao’s leadership. “KCR taught us to work together and serve the people. The party follows in his footsteps, and that remains my path,” he told supporters. He reportedly refused to react to Kavitha’s allegations.

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Turning his criticism on the Congress government, the BRS leader lashed out at Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy for mishandling the Kaleshwaram project. He charged the Congress with spreading misinformation that the entire project is wasted, when only one block suffered damage. He questioned how Revanth Reddy plans to fill Musi River with Godavari water without utilising the components of the Kaleshwaram project.

“Instead of repairing three damaged pillars in the Medigadda barrage to restore irrigation, they are politicising the issue and pushing farmers into distress. Farmers are now struggling not only for water but even for urea,” Harish Rao said. Pointing out that the Congress government has not constructed a single irrigation project in the last 22 months, he demanded Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy explain how Telangana recorded the highest paddy production.

He also attacked the State’s excise and real estate policies, stating that the Congress government established HYDRAA and resorted to demolitions targeting the poor, leading to a collapse of Hyderabad’s real estate sector.

Harish Rao contrasted the Congress’s misrule with the transformational decade under Chandrashekhar Rao. He pointed to flagship schemes like Mission Bhagiratha, Mission Kakatiya, and Rythu Bandhu, which catapulted Telangana to first rank in per capita income, power consumption, and GSDP growth. “Even if you search on Google, Telangana is number one in progress,” he asserted.

The former Minister stated that Mission Bhagiratha had provided clean drinking water to every household, becoming a model for the Centre’s Har Ghar Jal programme. Similarly, tank restoration under Mission Kakatiya inspired the Centre’s Amrit Sarovar initiative. He reminded that Rythu Bandhu was adopted nationally as the PM-Kisan scheme.

“Before Telangana was formed, industries faced power holidays and villages endured hours of cuts. Under KCR, 24×7 power became a reality. Agriculture expanded from just a few lakh acres to nearly 50 lakh acres under irrigation. Telangana also increased its green cover by 7.7 per cent, the highest in India,” he added.

Asserting that the Congress government has failed to match these achievements, he urged BRS cadres to stay united under Chandrashekhar Rao’s leadership. “Whenever elections are held, BRS will win. People have understood the difference between progress under KCR and chaos under the Congress,” he said.