Miss World vs Formula-E: Telangana Congress’ hypocrisy exposed
As govt gears up to host beauty pageant, it will have to answer questions on how it is so sure that the event, being hosted with tax payers' money, will benefit the State
Hyderabad: For the Congress in Telangana, everything they do is right, but if others do the same, that’s wrong. Hypocrisy, in other words, has become the hallmark of the Congress, as its stance on the Miss World pageant has proved.
The Congress had gone hammers and tongs against the Formula-E race when the previous BRS government got ready to host it, and continued in the same vein after coming to power by going to the extent of cancelling the second edition of the event, when it could have got whatever suspicions it had over the event cleared with a separate probe.
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But no, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy got the event cancelled without even discussing it in the Cabinet. The Congress’ stance was that the event was a sheer wastage of tax payers’ money and that the city did not derive any benefit by hosting such an event. On January 16, Bhongir MP Chamala Kiran Kumar even accused former MA&UD Minister KT Rama Rao of hosting the event only to “benefit his friends”.
However, now as the Congress gears up to host the Miss World contest, it will have to answer questions on how it is so sure that the event, obviously being hosted with tax payers’ money, will benefit the State.
This is in the background of the Congress theory — that the Formula-E race did not benefit the city in any way — being thrashed by global data analytics and sponsorship media evaluation firm Nielsen Sports’ report on how the Formula-E race event had helped Hyderabad.
An economic study conducted by Nielsen Sports Analysis calculated an $83.7 million (more than Rs 700 crore) direct uplift to the Hyderabad economy as a result of the Formula-E World Championship’s debut race in India on February 11, 2023. More than 31,000 people attended or supported the sold-out race event, with the majority (59 per cent) coming from outside of Hyderabad and generating significant inward investment into the local economy.
Formula-E’s only double champion, Jean-Eric Vergne, had won the highly competitive race, watched live in more than 150 countries around the world and attended by a host of dignitaries, Bollywood celebrities and sports stars.
The report also quotes Alberto Longo, co-founder & Chief Championship Officer, Formula-E, stating that the second edition would be an even bigger event, with greater economic impact. That, however, did not happen, courtesy the Congress government’s decision to cancel the event.
Formula-E also drew global sports entertainment firm World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) to Hyderabad, with the WWE Super Spectacle being hosted here in September 2023. This was the direct impact, while the event also had the agenda of making Hyderabad a pivotal hub for sustainable mobility as the world transitions towards it. It was also part of larger plans to make the Telangana Mobility Valley clusters the epicentre for innovation, research and manufacturing of electric vehicles.
The Congress had filed corruption cases against Rama Rao, the then Special Chief Secretary Arvind Kumar and other officials, despite Rama Rao pointing out and providing documents showing that there was no corruption as the payments were made through banks, adhering to government norms. With the Congress government now organizing the Miss World event, Rama Rao has asked how this was different from the Formula-E event.
“Apparently spending Rs 46 crore for Formula-E race in Hyderabad was wrong and will attract cases being filed. But spending Rs 200 crore of public money to conduct Miss World, a beauty contest is right! What is this perverse logic? Can you please explain Rahul Gandhiji?” Rama Rao asked on X.
Meanwhile, defending his government’s move, Tourism Minister Jupally Krishna Rao on Thursday said the event would be organised at an estimated cost of Rs 54 crore. Of this, Telangana Tourism and Miss World Limited would bear the cost equally. The State government’s contribution of Rs 27 crore for the event would primarily be raised through sponsorship, he said.
On the State government’s priorities in organising the event considering the financial situation, the Minister defended it saying the event would “boost Telangana’s economy”. “Not many are aware that Telangana as a State exists. People know about Hyderabad, but not about Telangana,” he claimed, adding that the event should not be looked at as a mere beauty contest, but as an opportunity for tourism promotion and generation of direct and indirect employment.
“One has to study and understand things deeply. Mere political thinking will not help. There has to be positive thinking. This event is not for any party or any individual, but for people and to generate revenue,” Krishna Rao said.
What Formula-E gave Hyderabad
$83.7 mn in direct, indirect and induced impact from spending in the Hyderabad region for the 2023 Greenko Hyderabad E-Prix
$4.8 mn generated from events and activations by teams, championship sponsors ABB and DHL, local race partners such as Greenko Group and Jio, associations with Hyderabad E-Mobility Week, organised by Government of Telangana
$4 mn spent on hotels, accommodation in the area
$3.5 mn created in media value across TV, online, print and social media
$1.8 mn spent in local restaurants on food,beverage
(Source: Nielsen Sports Analysis)
