Making a stunning claim, Bharat Rashtra Samithi chief and former Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao has said a group of regional parties could form a government and the NDA or INDIA alliances may end up having to support them, instead of the other way around. 

In an expansive interview with NDTV on Friday, Mr Rao, or KCR as he is popularly known, also spoke about how his party is far from finished and will get seats in the double digits out of the 17 constituencies in Telangana. He also answered questions about the BJP’s prospects, the “failure” of the Congress government in the state, and the arrest of his daughter K Kavitha in the alleged Delhi liquor policy scam.

Addressing a rally for sitting MP and one of the candidates in the Lok Sabha polls, Nama Nageswara Rao, the BRS chief had said Mr Nageswara Rao could end up being a Union minister. 

When he was asked about this and whether he would support the NDA or the INDIA bloc, KCR said, “I will tell you a surprising thing which you may not believe. This time, something new is going to happen in the country. All the regional parties are very strong now. They will emerge as a force. It’s not the regional parties supporting NDA or INDIA. It’s nothing like that. Either of them will have to support the regional parties’ group. It will be a reverse thing. You will see it.”

Mr Rao’s party had won nine out of the 17 Lok Sabha seats in Telangana in 2019 and he was the chief minister of the state for nearly a decade since its formation in 2014. But, since the Congress’ big victory in the Assembly elections last year – it won 64 of the state’s 119 seats, securing a majority on its own – there has been talk of the BRS’ star being on the wane, which has been reinforced by several leaders deserting the party.

To a poser on this, Mr Rao said the Congress has not fulfilled the promises it had made in the six months it has been in power and people are angry with the Revanth Reddy government. 

“The only promise they have delivered is free bus (tickets) for the woman. Even that has become a big joke. Women are fighting in the buses and auto drivers are (protesting) on the roads. That’s the reason people are very angry. The farming community, which got a lot of confidence during my regime, is also very angry. And I think the reflection will be seen in the Lok Sabha elections,” he said, adding that his party will get seats in the double digits, going up to 12.

On whether he thought people defeated his government because they were angry with him and believed the parties who said he was inaccessible, Mr Rao replied in the negative and said that people had got stable supply of power, drinking water and water for irrigation under his government and had been “tempted” by the Congress’ promises. 

“They made very, very attractive promises. The (vote share) margin between the Congress and BRS was 1.8%. We won about one-third seats of the state Assembly, which is not a small thing. It was not a rout… It was a small thing where the people, out of temptation and because they believed that Congress may deliver more than KCR… we were defeated. Now everyone has realised the Congress has failed to deliver and has cheated them,” he claimed. 

‘Sunflowers’ In Politics

Many candidates from the BJP and the Congress for the Lok Sabha polls were with the BRS earlier, and Mr Rao had a quip reserved for them: “Only a handful of people went out of the party… In politics, it is common that whenever power shifts, there are a certain number of sunflowers in each party… they will turn towards the sun and leave the party.”

The BJP had won 4 seats in Telangana in the 2019 general elections and the party has claimed that it will enter the double digits in the state this time. When he was asked to comment on this, Mr Rao said, “The BJP is running a Goebbels campaign. The BJP will get only one or none in Telangana in these Lok Sabha elections.”

The former chief minister asserted that the BJP, which had won only 29 seats out of 130 (including Puducherry) in south India in 2019, would not win more than 10 this time, and that the NDA would be reduced to just 226 seats nationally. 

“The Prime Minister has lost his charisma. People have realised it. The value of the Rupee has gone down to its lowest level and there is a capital drain from India now. Farmers are angry, many others are angry,” he claimed. 

K Kavitha Arrest

On the arrest of his daughter and BRS leader K Kavitha by the Enforcement Directorate in the Delhi liquor policy scam on March 15, Mr Rao said the BJP had done that because he had taken action against people who were trying to topple his government in Telangana.

Referring to a case filed against BJP National General Secretary BL Santhosh for allegedly poaching BRS MLAs, he said, “I was the first chief Minister in India who vehemently opposed Mr Modi and many of his policies… I sent my police forces to the central office of the BJP in Delhi to catch BL Santhosh. That angered the BJP. That’s why they arrested Kavitha in a false case.”

“Ultimately, we believe in the judiciary. Today, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal got bail, I think my daughter will also get bail. The Delhi liquor policy scam is not a scam. Every state has a liquor policy… not a single rupee was recovered… they are playing a drama with my daughter and also Arvind Kejriwal,” he asserted. 

Revanth Reddy In BJP?

Asked about his son and former minister KT Rama Rao’s statement that Congress leader and Telangana chief minister Revanth Reddy would switch to the BJP, KCR said this was evident in how he had called Prime Minister Narendra Modi his big brother at an event in the state. 

“He had said we need your (PM Modi’s) support going forward as well. What does it mean? He is accepting that Rahul Gandhi will not become Prime Minister. Revanth Reddy is in trouble, he is facing the (2015) vote-for-note case and I think that is coming to an end in June or July. Even people from the Congress are thinking he may jump to the BJP,” he said.

Mr Rao denied allegations of involvement in the phone-tapping scandal that has rocked the state and said it was completely in the police’s domain. He also called the allegations of corruption in the Kaleshwaram lift irrigation project “senseless” and termed it a “marvel”.

On the PM saying that reservation to Muslims based on religion is not allowed under the Constitution, Mr Rao said, “Whether the Constitution allows it is an academic subject. But as far as I’m concerned, whether it is a Muslim or Hindu or whatever, people who did not get their share, people who are still poor, who deserve reservation, must get reservation. It’s not a fair thing on the part of the Government of India… and the Prime Minister talking about it.. it looks very silly. It’s not correct.”

Hyderabad:

Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy today reiterated his promise to waive farmer loans upto Rs 2 lakh, “come what may”,. Then came a bizarre addition — “even if KCR (his predecessor K Chandrasekhar Rao) were to die by hanging in his farm house, I will waive farmer loans by August 15,” he thundered.

Revanth Reddy was addressing a meeting in his Kodangal assembly constituency, which falls in his native Mahbubnagar constituency.

His comments come on the eve of Mr Rao, the chief of Bharat Rashtra Samithi, starting his Lok Sabha campaign. The journey begins tomorrow by a special bus.

Even before that, Mr Rao has been touring drought-hit districts, meeting with farmers in distress to tell them that they were much better off when he was Chief Minister. There was no shortage of water and farmers harvested plenty, he told them.

Revanth Reddy’s promise of waiving Rs 2 lakh loans of farmers before August 15 was made two days ago in Bhongir. BRS leader and nephew of KCR, T Harish Rao, had asked yesterday whether Mr Reddy would resign if he was unable to fulfil his loan waiver promise.

Today, it was Revanth Reddy’s turn to retort and he asked if KCR would disband his party if he kept his word on waiving farmer loans by August 15.

“Your uncle knows better than you that Revanth does what he says and keeps his word,” the Chief Minister said.

This is not the first time Revanth Reddy is talking about hanging Mr Rao. A few days ago, he said it would not be wrong to hang KCR and his son for the way in which they had allegedly looted real estate in Hyderabad.

On April 6, when Rahul Gandhi was in Tukkuguda, on the outskirts of Hyderabad, Revanth Reddy had attacked KCR, declaring that he would send him to jail. He would also build a 2BHK for Mr Rao in Cherlapally so he could cool his heels inside with his family, Mr Reddy said.

In 2015, just an year after KCR became Telangana Chief Minister, Revanth Reddy, then with the TDP, went to jail in a cash-for-votes scam. He had to come out on bail to attend his daughter’s engagement ceremony. Revanth Reddy had vowed revenge against KCR when he came out of jail.

Hyderabad:

As part of poll duty, election officials on Sunday inspected the bus in which former Telangana Chief Minister and BRS supremo K Chandrasekhar Rao was traveling during his visit to Suryapet district, about 170 km from here.

Telangana will vote for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls on May 13 for which the Model Code Conduct (MCC) is currently in place.

According to sources in the BRS, K Chandrasekhar Rao was on his way to Suryapet as part of his tour to inspect agricultural fields which are allegedly facing drought-like conditions.

The BRS sources said the vehicle was checked at Edulaparre tanda check post in the district.

KCR was interacting with farmers to instill confidence in view of the drought-like conditions faced by them, party sources said. 

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

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.)

BRS leader K Kavitha, daughter of Telangana’s former Chief Minister KCR, has been summoned next week by the Central Bureau of Investigation in connection with the Delhi liquor policy case, say sources.

This is the second time that the Telangana politician has been summoned by the central agency. She was earlier questioned by the CBI in December.

It is alleged that the Delhi government’s liquor policy for 2021-22 to grant licences to liquor traders allowed cartelisation and favoured certain dealers who had allegedly paid bribes for it.

The policy was subsequently scrapped and the Delhi lieutenant governor recommended a CBI probe, following which the ED registered a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The Enforcement Directorate has alleged that one of the accused in the case Vijay Nair received kickbacks to the tune of at least Rs 100 crore from a group called South Group (controlled by Sarath Reddy, Kavitha and Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy) on behalf of leaders of the AAP.

Hyderabad:

Taunting the BJP over its promise to make a backward caste candidate as Chief Minister of Telangana, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday wondered how the it could do so when it was going to garner only a meagre percentage of votes.

Mr Gandhi, who addressed public meetings at Kalwakurthy, Jadcherla and Shadnagar in Telangana, said BJP leaders used to brag about their chances in the state. However, the Congress had “punctured” the four tyres of BJP’s vehicle in Telangana.

“You will get two per cent votes here and how can you make a chief minister?” he asked.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah had recently announced in a poll rally regarding making a backward class leader as Chief Minister if the BJP came to power in Telangana after the November 30 assembly polls.

Mr Gandhi further took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the PM would go to the US and announce that he will make an OBC candidate President of America.

“You will neither be able to make a President in America nor a Chief Minister here (Telangana),” he said.

Targetting the AIMIM, Mr Gandhi alleged that the Asaduddin Owaisi-led party fields candidates wherever the Congress fights the BJP by taking money from the saffron party.

“Wherever we go to fight the elections… Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Tripura, wherever Congress party fights with BJP, MIM party takes money from BJP and puts up candidates there,” he claimed.

Just as it has “punctured the tyres of BJP” in Telangana, the Congress will do so in the whole of India.

“First, we have to win in Telangana. We will win in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chattisgarh, and later in 2024, we will win Delhi (Lok Sabha),” he said.

He reiterated his allegation that “BJP, BRS and AIMIM are one”. “These three are working together.” “… if there is no tacit understanding between BJP and BRS, why is there not even a single case against your Chief Minister?” he asked.

He recalled that the BRS had supported the BJP in Parliament on the three farm laws.

The Congress leader promised to conduct a caste census if his party was voted to power in Telangana.

A caste census would also be conducted in the country if the Congress comes to power after the Lok Sabha elections held next year, he added.

Mr Gandhi, who alleged that the Chief Minister “swindled” Rs one lakh crore in Kaleswaram project, displayed a mock ‘Kaleswaram ATM’ made by his party to the people at Shadnagar.

Referring to reports of some ‘piers’ of Medigadda barrage of Kaleswaram project ‘sinking’, he said KCR should inspect the site.

Alleging that RSS-BJP spread hate in the country, he claimed that a ‘mohabbat ki dukan’ should be opened. He likened the 24 cases filed against him to medals given to the personnel in the Army.

“I wake up in the morning and if there is no attack on me by BJP or if they don’t speak ill of me, I don’t have fun,” he quipped.

“I have shaken them (rivals) so much that they talk about me 24-hours. Narendra Modi ji and KCR sleep in the night and suddenly they see me in their dreams,” he said.

He also highlighted the Congress’s poll promises, including Rs 2,500 for women every month under ‘Mahalakshmi’ scheme, provision of LPG cylinder for Rs 500, free bus travel for women.

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

Miryalaguda:

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Tuesday blamed the Congress party for the knife attack on BRS candidate K Prabhakar Reddy in Siddipet district.

Prabhakar Reddy, the party’s candidate from Dubbak segment was stabbed with a knife allegedly by a 38-year-old man in Siddipet district on Monday while he was campaigning for the November 30 Assembly elections.

“Yesterday, Congress durmargulu (wicked fellows) attacked our party candidate with knives. By God’s grace he is alive. We could save his life by taking him to hospital and treating him in an emergency,” Rao said at an election rally here.

Reddy, who is an MP from Medak Lok Sabha constituency, suffered injuries to his stomach and was shifted to Yashoda Hospital in Hyderabad where doctors carried out a surgery on him. He is said to be stable.

Except for doing good to people, his party or the government has not harmed anyone in the last ten years, KCR further said.

Speaking about the law and order situation in the state, KCR said Telangana has been progressing without any law and order problems such as curfews during the past ten years.

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

Kodad, Telangana:

Hitting out at the Congress party for never having protected the interests of Telangana when some of the irrigation projects were constructed during their tenures (in undivided Andhra Pradesh), BRS supremo K Chandrashekar Rao on Sunday said his party will protect the state like the armour of Karna.

Speaking at a rally here in the run-up to the November 30 Assembly elections, the Telangana Chief Minister KCR, seeking votes for his party’s candidate, said the state has been progressing and became number one in several parameters such as per capita income and power.

Taking a dig at Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, KCR said he is talking in Telangana about Siddaramaiah-led government’s five hours of free power to farmers where BRS government offers 24 hours free power to peasants.

“BRS protects Telangana like the legendary Karna’s Kavach (from the Mahabharat). BRS was born for Telangana state, its development and to protect Telangana people and their rights,” he said.

“Congress leaders never thought of irrigation projects that would benefit Telangana people,” KCR hit out, referring to the Nagarjuna Sagar irrigation project.

Narrating the promises in the BRS manifesto, KCR said amounts for social pensions and Rythu Bandhu will be increased in a phased manner.

KCR said Telangana which used to witness drought and migrations, has been witnessing development owing to peace and tranquility.

“Telangana is number one in per capita income and per capita power consumption. Earlier the per capita power consumption now doubled to 2200 units from the earlier 1100 units,” he added.

Without naming the Congress, he alleged the Muslims and Dalits were treated as vote-banks earlier. 

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

Etala Rajender
| Photo Credit: K.V.S. Giri

Youngsters who were involved in Left-student politics full-time for many years rarely end up on the other side of the political ideology spectrum. Even if they do, they do not figure in the higher echelons of the right-wing political parties.

Etala Rajender, who is now making waves for taking on the mighty Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao is one such politician who has traversed from one end of the political spectrum to the other with elan. In between, he also dabbled with business before joining the separate Statehood movement with the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS).

The sitting BJP MLA from the Huzurabad constituency in Karimnagar district of Telangana fell out with his mentor in politics KCR, and is now challenging the lion in his own den in Gajwel, where he is contesting as a BJP candidate catching the attention of all. He hails from the Mudiraj community, which is one of the numerically biggest among the classes in Telangana.

Mr. Rajender entered student politics in the mid-80s attracted by Left-wing politics like thousands of other youngsters during that period. He was an active member of the Progressive Democratic Students Union (PDSU), founded by the charismatic George Reddy, which had a huge sway among students in the 1970s and 80s, linking up social issues to student politics.

Mr. Rajender’s leadership role came into light when he defeated the ABVP candidate contesting as general secretary of the Students Union elections as an undergraduate student in the Osmania University College of Science, Saifabad, Hyderabad. He aligned with the PDSU faction that was close to Chandra Pulla Reddy, founder of the CPI (Marxist-Leninist).

He continued his tryst with the organisation as a full-time worker even after college and during this period he met his future wife Jamuna, who too was part of PDSU. After marriage, he ventured into the poultry and hatchery business, emerging as one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the field.

However, the leftist in him drew him to the Telangana statehood agitation when Mr. Rao founded the TRS. In the very first election that the TRS contested in 2004, he won from Kamalapur (which is now Huzurabad) constituency and served as the leader of the TRS in the Assembly. He emerged as the number two in the party and was made a Minister in the first TRS government in 2014 after Telangana was formed.

By the time he was re-elected in 2018 from TRS, there were reports of fissures with Mr. Rao. One of his famous comments, ‘We are also the owners of the pink flag (TRS party flag)’ reflected the growing differences between Mr. Rao and him.

In an unexpected move, Mr. Rao dropped him from the Cabinet in 2021, charging him with corruption and land grabbing. After resigning from the TRS, he won the ‘high-voltage and high-stake’ bypoll defeating the TRS candidate. It increased his stature in the BJP that made him the Campaign Committee Chairman in Telangana.

Now, the BJP has fielded him against Mr. Rao in Gajwel, grabbing eyeballs.