KTR challenges Congress, BJP to match Telangana’s growth under BRS

BRS working president KT Rama Rao challenged the Congress and BJP to identify a State that achieved more progress than Telangana under K Chandrashekhar Rao. Citing economic and development indicators, he defended the BRS record and criticised the Congress government's performance.

Hyderabad: BRS working president KT Rama Rao on Wednesday threw an open challenge to both the Congress and BJP, stating that he would quit politics permanently if either party could prove that any State governed by them had achieved greater progress than Telangana under the leadership of former Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao. He rubbished the Congress government’s allegations that the BRS left the State high and dry.

“Congress and BJP are ruling several States across the country. If they can show even one State that has achieved more progress than Telangana in such a short span, I will retire from politics permanently,” he said, adding that his challenge was based on official statistics, particularly data from the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), and not on fabricated figures.

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Speaking during the Meet the Press programme at the Press Club of Hyderabad, Rama Rao listed the achievements of the State under Chandrashekhar Rao’s tenure, during which the per capita income rose from Rs 94,000 to Rs 3.47 lakh, GSDP increased from Rs 4.5 lakh crore to Rs 15 lakh crore, and the number of residential welfare schools expanded from 200 to 1,022. He also highlighted the establishment of medical colleges along with nursing colleges in every district, growth in IT employment from three lakh to 9.5 lakh jobs, expansion of the cultivated area from 1.31 crore acres to 2.29 crore acres, and Telangana’s emergence as a leader in inland fisheries.

The BRS working president pointed out that flagship initiatives such as Rythu Bandhu, Mission Bhagiratha and Mission Kakatiya were replicated by other States as well as the Centre. He stated that despite accounting for less than three per cent of India’s population, Telangana contributed nearly five per cent of the national GDP.

Rama Rao said Telangana’s economy weakened under Congress rule, pointing to consecutive revenue deficits of Rs 9,420 crore in 2024-25 and Rs 9,235 crore in 2025-26. He remarked that while the BRS government borrowed Rs 2.8 lakh crore over nine-and-a-half years and built major infrastructure projects, the Congress government raised nearly Rs 4 lakh crore in two-and-a-half years without delivering on its electoral promises.

“Except for targeting KCR and BRS with abusive rhetoric, the Congress government has delivered nothing new to the people of Telangana,” he said.

Recalling the 12 years since the formation of Telangana, he called it the outcome of decades of struggle and sacrifice, urging younger generations to understand the history behind the statehood movement. He credited the BRS government with transforming Telangana into a national model in irrigation, agriculture, drinking water, education, healthcare and welfare.