Revanth Reddy issues veiled warning to voters to choose only Congress-backed candidates

Chief Minister Revanth Reddy urged voters to elect local leaders aligned with the Congress, warning that otherwise village development could be affected. His remarks, made during ongoing elections, drew criticism, while the BRS complained to the State Election Commission over alleged misuse of public funds.

Hyderabad: In a veiled warning to the public against voting for candidates not backed by the Congress, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Wednesday urged people to elect sarpanchs and ward members who could work in coordination with Ministers and legislators. He said choosing others could halt funds and development works in their villages, a remark that drew criticism for its direct political messaging during the election schedule.

His comments came as the BRS lodged a complaint with the State Election Commission, accusing the Congress of using public money to celebrate the government’s completion of two years in office and misusing the platform for poll campaigning.

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Speaking after laying the foundation stone for works worth Rs.262 crore in Husnabad constituency, the Chief Minister said the government would extend maximum support to villages but insisted that capable local leadership was essential to ensure development.

Earlier in the meeting, his claim that the increase in irrigation coverage after the formation of Telangana was due to the Congress government left many in the audience puzzled. He said Telangana had surpassed Punjab to become the top paddy producing State in India because of irrigation projects built by Congress governments. The statement drew no applause and instead sparked discussions that it was the BRS government under K Chandrashekhar Rao that constructed multiple irrigation projects during its ten-year rule. It was widely known that the area under irrigation and paddy production had more than doubled in the decade following the formation of Telangana.

Questions also arose on how Revanth Reddy could lay foundations for roads connecting gram panchayats in the Husnabad constituency in the middle of the election schedule, which several people said amounted to a violation of the election code.

The meeting itself saw a muted response from the public, with several attendees leaving as the Chief Minister arrived late. Many chairs remained empty despite repeated requests from local Congress leaders urging people to remain seated. His claim that the Congress government had recruited 60,000 employees also prompted questions, with many pointing out that notifications for these posts were in fact issued by the BRS government months before the 2023 Assembly elections.