New Delhi:

In yet another blow to former Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, Chevella MP Ranjith Reddy on Sunday quit the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and joined the ruling Congress.

Taking to his official X account, he cited “current political circumstances” behind his (sudden but expected) resignation. He also shared his resignation letter on the microblogging platform.

“I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude for the invaluable opportunity provided by the party to address and resolve the crucial issues affecting the residents of the former Ranga Reddy and Vikarabad Districts. Your confidence in my abilities has empowered me to effectively serve the constituents of Chevella, my parliamentary constituency,” Mr Reddy wrote in his resignation letter to Mr Rao.

“I am sincerely thankful for your steadfast support throughout this journey. Unfortunately, due to the current political circumstances in the state of Telangana, I have come to the difficult decision to pursue an alternative path. It is with a heavy heart that I hereby submit my resignation from the BRS Party and relinquish my membership. I want to extend my deepest appreciation for the support and endorsement extended by the party during my tenure,” he said.

I’m writing to inform all my supporters and people that I have submitted the formal letter of resignation to @BRSparty

I would like to convey my gratitude to the BRS party for the meaningful opportunity provided & the cooperation extended in my service to the people of… pic.twitter.com/tCZ4N9Kbo8

— Dr Ranjith Reddy (@DrRanjithReddy) March 17, 2024

Hours after his resignation, Mr Reddy joined the Congress in the presence of Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and other senior party leaders.

ముఖ్యమంత్రి, టిపిసిసి అద్యక్షులు శ్రీ రేవంత్ రెడ్డి గారు, ఏఐసీసీ ఇంచార్జ్ దీపాదాస్ మున్షీ సమక్షంలో కాంగ్రెస్ పార్టీలో చేరిన చేవెళ్ల బీఆరెస్ ఎంపీ రంజిత్ రెడ్డి గారు, ఖైరతాబాద్ బీఆర్ఎస్ ఎమ్మెల్యే దానం నాగేందర్ గారు.#JoiningsInCongresspic.twitter.com/4hPJhvYT0k

— Telangana Congress (@INCTelangana) March 17, 2024

K Chandrasekhar Rao, who is commonly known as KCR, has seen some of his party’s MPs switching over to other parties in the past few weeks.

Earlier on Saturday, BRS MP from Warangal Pasunoori Dayakar joined the ruling Congress.

Recently, BRS MPs from Zaheerabad and Nagarkurnool, BB Patil and P Ramulu respectively, had joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The BRS has been on the back foot after its defeat in the recently held assembly elections in Telangana and has been struggling to find candidates for the ensuing Lok Sabha elections.

The BJP, on the other hand, also does not have enough candidates and has been eyeing to induct leaders from other parties.

It fielded BB Patil from Zaheerabad, a day after he joined the party. The BJP also made Bharat Prasad its candidate from the Nagarkurnool (SC reserved) constituency, days after his father, P Ramulu, resigned from the KCR-led BRS.

Elections will be held in Telangana on May 13.

Hyderabad:

Describing the arrest of BRS leader K Kavitha in a money-laundering case as “soap opera,” Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Saturday sought to know why former CM K Chandrasekhar Rao was silent on the issue.

Addressing a press conference, Mr Reddy said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and KCR should stop these “political dramas” and questioned as to what the PM had done for Telangana in the last ten years.

He alleged that the BJP is trying to emerge as a champion against corruption while the BRS will play the sympathy card with the arrest.

“Former Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s family and the BJP are enacting a drama like TV serials and soap operas as far as the liquor case is concerned. The drama which has been going on for a few years has reached a climax after the arrest yesterday. What does this indicate about the arrest drama one day before the announcement of the poll schedule? They (the BJP) want to emerge as champions against corruption and these people (BRS) want to get sympathy out of it. Both are playing a strategic political ploy,” the CM said, reacting to the arrest.

The Enforcement Directorate on Friday arrested BRS leader Kavitha, daughter of KCR, in Hyderabad in connection with a money-laundering probe linked to the Delhi excise policy scam case.

“Earlier they used to say that Modi would come first followed by the ED. But yesterday, Modi and ED came on the same day,” he further said, adding that some agencies are acting like frontal organisations of the BJP.

He alleged that Ms Kavitha was arrested a day before the poll schedule so that the BRS and the BJP could reap political benefits.

PM Modi held a roadshow in Hyderabad on Friday.

He said both the BJP and the BRS are resorting to “cheap political tactics” to hit the Congress party as several surveys are indicating that the grand old party will get 12 Lok Sabha seats out of the total 17.

Revanth Reddy said “if anyone tries to topple the Congress government in the state, we have our own plans (to nix them). Our government will last for the next ten years.

To a query, he said his party is against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and also abolishing reservation to minorities. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Foreigners joined women from Telangana to celebrate at Bathukamma Ghat, in Hyderabad, on Sunday.
| Photo Credit: G. RAMAKRISHNA

Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao extended greetings to people on the occasion of Vijaya Dasami, Dasara festival.

In a message, he said: Dasara holds special and significant place in Telangana’s cultural lifestyle. People across the country celebrate Dasara in the name of Vijaya Dasami, a symbol of victory. The gathering of all members of the families to celebrate the festival exhibits unity among all sections of the people.

Sighting of Indian Roller (pala pitta), offering pujas and customary worship of jammi tree, whose leaves are exchanged in Alai Balai, and seeking blessings from elders, are distinctive of Dasara festivities in the State, he said.

He reiterated that the government will pursue the spirit of Vijaya Dasami and will strive to place the State which was achieved after a protracted struggle on the top. The Chief Minister prayed to Goddess Durga seeking her blessings to people.

Hyderabad:

Raising social security pension amounts, increasing financial assistance given under the ‘Rythu Bandhu’ investment support scheme for farmers, and providing LPG cylinders at Rs 400 each are some of the promises made by the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) for the upcoming assembly elections in Telangana.

Releasing the party manifesto for the November 30 assembly polls, BRS chief and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao said all 93 lakh families living below the poverty line (BPL) in the state would be provided life insurance cover of Rs five lakh and that the government would bear the cost of the premium.

Mr Rao, also known as KCR, said the social security pension, which currently stands at Rs 2,016, will be increased to Rs 5,000 per month gradually over the next five years.

According to the manifesto, It will be increased to Rs 3,016 in the first year after the BRS returns to power, and then be raised incrementally up to Rs 5,000 in the next four years.

Similarly, pension for Divyang people (persons with disabilities) will be enhanced to Rs 6,016 in the coming five years, from the existing Rs 4016.

Under the ‘Rythu Bandhu’ scheme in which farmers get Rs 10,000 per annum per acre, the payments will be enhanced gradually to Rs 16,000 per annum in the next five years.

“The BRS after coming to power will give each gas cylinder at Rs 400 to ‘eligible beneficiaries’ and the remaining cost will be borne by the state government,” it said.

The BRS manifesto also promises Rs 15 lakh health insurance coverage to all eligible beneficiaries under the ‘Arogya Sri’ health scheme, increasing it from the present Rs five lakh.

Mr Rao, who expressed confidence that his party would return to power, said the promises announced by the BRS would be implemented within six to seven months after forming the government.

Before releasing the manifesto, the CM said his government implemented 90 per cent of the welfare schemes though they were not mentioned in the manifesto for the previous elections.

Speaking further about the BRS’s plans if it returns to power, he said all residential junior colleges will be converted into residential degree colleges.

Watch Live: BRS Party President, CM Sri KCR speaking after releasing the party manifesto. #KCROnceAgain#VoteForCarhttps://t.co/XRJVLM72C0

— BRS Party (@BRSparty) October 15, 2023

Highlighting the development that the state has undergone under the BRS, Mr Rao stated that Telangana has become the number one in per capita income and power consumption, among other aspects. He promised to continue the government’s policies with regard to power and agriculture and said that, if required, stimulus would be given. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Hyderabad:

 Asserting that there was a possibility for formation of a third front in the country, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Monday said he has always insisted that Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao take the initiative in this regard.

Speaking to reporters here, he said there are several political parties and leaders in the country who are ready to jump in if Chandrasekhar Rao takes the lead.

“There is a lot of probability (of a third front). I have been telling the Telangana Chief Minister to take the lead. There are several political parties, leaders in every state who are ready and if Chief Minister KCR takes the lead, then plenty of work can be done in this regard,” the Hyderabad MP said in response to a query about the possibility of a third front emerging.

On Congress party’s promise of Rs 12 lakh financial help to SC and ST families in the state, Mr Owaisi said Mr Rao has been giving Rs 10 lakh under the ‘Dalit Bandhu’ scheme.

Last week, the Congress had announced ‘SC, ST Declaration’ — a set of 12 promises of the party — for the coming Assembly elections in Telangana under which financial aid of Rs 12 lakh to Dalit families is promised by it in the state.

“They (Congress) are just talking about increasing Rs 2 lakh. KCR is the one who brought the scheme for Dalits, they (Congress) are just copying it. You are just doing cut-and-paste job. KCR has already implemented these. They do not have anything new,” the AIMIM leader added.

Alleging that VHP was the strength and weakness of BJP, Mr Owaisi attacked the saffron party over the recent violence in Haryana.

Following the violence, collective punishment was being given to Muslims through demolitions of their buildings and properties there, he claimed.

“The country is watching all this. G20 meeting is happening. The BJP is in power there and will you bow down when an organisation threatens the government?” Mr Owaisi questioned the BJP.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Finance Minister mentioned Telangana only once by promising to support the Indian Institute of Millet Research, Hyderabad as the Centre of Excellence.

Congress Lok Sabha member N. Uttam Kumar Reddy said that the Union Budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Lok Sabha on Wednesday was highly disappointing for Telangana. Further, he described it as an ‘anti-poor and pro-corporate’ budget.

Speaking to mediapersons at New Delhi after presentation of the Union Budget, Mr. Uttam Kumar Reddy said no specific announcements have been made for Telangana in the budget speech. “The Finance Minister did not even mention anything about the fulfilment of promises made under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act. The BJP government did not honour a single promise made through legislation passed by the Parliament in 2013,” he said.

“In the 58-page budget speech, the Finance Minister mentioned Telangana only once by promising to support the Indian Institute of Millet Research, Hyderabad as the Centre of Excellence. But no funds have been promised. We’ve seen several such fake promises by Modi’s government in the past,” he said.

Mr. Uttam Kumar Reddy said that the BRS government headed by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao was equally responsible for the utter neglect of Telangana in the Union Budget. “KCR has failed to build pressure on the BJP to get adequate funds for Telangana. In the initial years, KCR acted as a devoted ‘Modi bhakt’ and now he is enacting the dramas of rivalry with the BJP. Earlier he supported and strengthened Modi and now he is focused on building his image as a ‘national leader’. He never cared for Telangana and did nothing to get the new State its due share in the Union Budget,” he said.

The Congress MP also slammed the BJP leaders of Telangana for not making any efforts to get funds or big projects for the State. “Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy, Telangana BJP president Bandi Sanjay and other two MPs miserably failed in convincing their party’s government to allocate sufficient funds for the State. They only enjoy playing blame games through media in the State, but show no courage to fight for the interest of Telangana in Delhi,” said Mr. Uttam Kumar Reddy.