Hyderabad:

The Telangana government plans to increase the quota of backward classes in the upcoming local body elections.

Holding a review meeting at the Secretariat on the proposal to enhance BC quota in the local body elections, Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Monday asked the officials to prepare an action plan in this regard.

He asked the officials to furnish the details of the implementation of reservation in the panchayat elections and also the proposal to increase the quota in the upcoming elections.

The officials apprised the Chief Minister the procedure followed in the previous panchayat elections and the preparations being made for the upcoming panchayat elections.

As Revanth Reddy enquired about the requirement of time to complete the already approved caste census and the conduct of local body elections on the basis of the outcome of the caste census, they said that the caste census was already conducted in Karnataka in 2015 and in Bihar in 2023.

The details of the caste census in Andhra Pradesh have not been released yet.

Officials explained that the caste enumeration format adopted by the Central government in 2011 has 53 columns and it will take at least five and half months to complete the caste census by adding three more columns.

The Chief Minister ordered the officials to prepare an action plan to increase BC quota as well as to conduct the elections at the earliest to avoid delay in the release of central funds to the local bodies, as he discussed the issue of increasing reservation elaborately in the meeting.

Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, Health and Family Welfare Minister Damodara Rajanarasimha, BC Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar, Rural Development Minister Sitakka, Forest Minister Konda Surekha, Chief Minister’s Advisor Vem Narender Reddy and other attended the meeting. Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari, CMO Secretary V. Seshadri, Chief Minister’s Secretary Dr G. Chandrasekhar Reddy, BC Welfare Department Secretary Burra Venkatesham, Panchayat Raj Department Secretary D.S. Lokesh Kumar, Law Department Secretary Rendla Tirupati and others were also present.

Former minister Jana Reddy explained the procedures adopted in the erstwhile united Andhra Pradesh and in the Telangana state in the conduct of the Panchayat elections, cases filed in the Supreme Court on BC reservations in the local body elections by various states, judgments and consequences.

In response, Revanth Reddy said that a timeline should be prepared for the implementation of reservations in panchayat elections. The officials have been asked to consult the experts in the Panchayat Raj Act including Jana Reddy and retired department officials to clear the doubts and Advocate General on legal matters.

Ordering a study on the implementation of reservations in the local body elections in other states, the Chief Minister said that he would call another meeting before the commencement of the Budget session of the Assembly and take a final decision on increasing the reservation based on the report prepared by the officials.

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

Hyderabad:

 Another MLA of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) on Friday joined the Congress, taking to eight the number of BRS MLAs who defected to the ruling party since the Assembly elections the previous year.

Prakash Goud, the MLA from Rajendranagar constituency in Greater Hyderabad, joined the Congress in the presence of Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy at the latter’s residence on Friday night.

His followers also joined the ruling party. Revenue Minister P. Srinivas Reddy, MLC Mahender Reddy and others were present.

Earlier, Mr Goud had announced after a visit to Tirumala temple in Andhra Pradesh that he had decided to join the Congress. He is the eighth BRS MLA to switch loyalties since Congress came to power in the state in December 2023.

Mr Goud, along with fellow BRS MLA Arekapudi Gandhi, had met Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu during his visit to Hyderabad last week.

As Mr Naidu is planning to revive the TDP in Telangana, this meeting had sparked speculations that they will defect to the TDP.

However, both the MLAs denied any such plans.

Mr Goud on Friday said Chandrababu Naidu was his political guru and that he was happy that Naidu has become Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister once again.

Mr Goud had called on Revanth Reddy early this year amid reports that he was planning to join Congress. However, his joining was delayed due to some reasons.

Elected from Rajendranagar constituency on a TDP ticket in 2009, Mr Goud was re-elected in 2014 but later joined the TRS (now BRS). In the Assembly elections held in November 2023, he was elected from the constituency on a BRS ticket for a fourth consecutive term.

With the latest defection, the BRS tally in the 119-member Assembly has come down to 30. It had bagged 39 seats in the election but lost the Secunderabad Cantonment seat to Congress in the by-election held in May.

The tally of the Congress has gone up to 73.

The BRS also lost six MLCs and several senior leaders to Congress during the last seven months.

Meanwhile, D. Nagender, one of the BRS MLAs who joined the Congress before the Lok Sabha elections, has claimed that the BRS Legislature Party will soon merge with the Congress Legislature Party. The former minister said that only four MLAs, including BRS President K. Chandrasekhar Rao, his son K.T. Rama Rao and nephew Harish Rao will remain in the BRS.

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

Hyderabad:

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has invited himself to the home of his Telangana counterpart Revanth Reddy at the latter’s home. Though the two leaders go back a long way, the optics of an NDA Chief Minister meeting his Congress counterpart has set political circles buzzing. Speculation is high on what projects the two states might collaborate on — a subject hinted at in Mr Naidu’s letter to the Telangana Chief Minister.

“It has been 10 years since bifurcation of erstwhile Andhra Pradesh. There have been multiple discussions concerning issues arising from the Reorganization Act. which hold significant implications for the welfare and advancement of our states. It is imperative that we address these issues amicably with utmost diligence and resolve. In light of this, I propose that we meet at your place on 6′ July. Saturday afternoon,” Mr Naidu wrote to Mr Reddy.

“I firmly believe that a face-to-face meeting will provide us with the opportunity to engage comprehensively on these critical issues and collaborate effectively towards achieving mutually beneficial solutions for Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. I am confident that our deliberations will lead to productive outcomes,” the letter added.

The carving out of Telangana has landed the Andhra Pradesh — and its Chief Minister — in a tricky situation, especially now, when the 10-year time for sharing Hyderabad as a joint capital comes to an end.

Andhra Pradesh is yet to build a state capital. Mr Naidu’s Amaravati project has been at a standstill for the last five years after former Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy cut the supply lines.

More importantly, the wipeout of K Chandrasekhar Rao’s Bharat Rashtra Samithi in Telangana has provided an opening to Mr Naidu to expand his foothold in the neighbouring state. For the TDP chief, who has been fighting for a decade to expand in the new state carved out of Andhra Pradesh, this is too big an opportunity to pass up.

For Mr Reddy, it creates a situation that should not be comfortable politically. But the two leaders are too well acquainted. Before joining Congress, Mr Reddy was part of the Telugu Desam Party and a close aide of Mr Naidu.

In the 2015 note-for-vote scam, in which Revanth Reddy went to jail, he had acted as Mr Naidu’s emissary to a nominated member of assembly to ask him to vote in favour of the TDP. Mr Reddy was caught on camera offering Rs 50 lakh to a member.  

Mr Reddy, moreover, is acquiring a reputation of making friends across party lines. In his recent week-long visit to Delhi, Mr Reddy met a number of BJP leaders, including party chief JP Nadda. When his affable treatment of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and calling him “Bada bhai (elder brother) during his visit to the state in March raised eyebrows, Mr Reddy explained it saying he needed to cultivate friendly relations with all to help his state grow.

New Delhi:

After weeks of undertaking poll campaigns for Congress candidates, Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy was on Sunday seen playing football with college students.

In a video going viral on social media platforms, Mr Reddy, a football lover, can be seen wearing a number 9 “INDIA” jersey — an apparent reference to the Opposition bloc.

Playing the friendly football match with the students at Hyderabad Central University, the 54-year-old politician was seen sprinting for the ball, managing tackles, and making clearances.

: As Weeks Of Campaigning Ends, Revanth Reddy Plays Football With Students

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— NDTV (@ndtv) May 12, 2024

Revanth Reddy became the Chief Minister of Telangana following the Congress’ victory in the state Assembly elections in December last year.

Mr Reddy, who is considered to be close to former Congress president Rahul Gandhi, has had stints in the BJP’s student wing, the former chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao’s Bharat Rashtra Samithi (then the Telangana Rashtra Samithi) and N Chandrababu Naidu’s Telugu Desam Party.

His surge to the spotlight began in 2021 when he was appointed as the president of Congress’ Telangana unit.

Telangana To Go For Lok Sabha Polls On May 13

A high-octane campaign, including by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and top leaders of Congress and BRS, for the Lok Sabha polls in Telangana ended on Saturday.

Telangana will go to polls on Monday to elect 17 Lok Sabha members from the state in a single phase. Over 3.31 crore voters are expected to exercise their franchise in 35,356 polling stations across the state.

More than 600 candidates, including Union Minister and Telangana BJP president G Kishan Reddy, are fighting the polls.

The counting of votes will be taken up on June 4.

Earlier in the 2019 general elections, Telangana witnessed 62 per cent voter turnout with the BRS (then the TRS) securing nine seats, the BJP winning four and the Congress taking three seats. Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM was able to manage one Lok Sabha seat.

Crediting Rythu Bandhu at ₹5,000 every acre into the accounts of these farmers is likely to require in excess of ₹2,000 crore. File

The State Government has decided to raise ₹3,000 crore market borrowings through auction of securities from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

The State Government has submitted an indent for raising the amount during the auction of securities to be conducted on May 7. In the process, the Government made small modifications to its borrowings calendar during the firth quarter of the current financial year. While it had indicated that it will raise ₹2,000 crore each through auction of securities on April 8 and 23, the Government reduced the figure to ₹1,500 crore each during the two auctions thereby availing space for borrowing ₹1,000 crore. The amount was adjusted for the auction on May 7 wherein the Government will raise ₹3,000 crore instead of the ₹2,000 projected in the indicative calendar of borrowings.

The development assumes significance in the light of Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy’s assertion that his government was committed to complete crediting amounts under the Rythu Bandhu for Rabi season into the accounts of all eligible farmers by May 8. The Government had so far credited ₹5,777 crore into the accounts of 64.75 lakh farmers out of the 68.99 lakh leaving a balance close to four lakh farmers.

Crediting Rythu Bandhu at ₹5,000 every acre into the accounts of these farmers is likely to require in excess of ₹2,000 crore. At the same time, the government should also credit the amounts pertaining to social security pensions like Aasara into the accounts of eligible beneficiaries and crediting of the amounts into their accounts had started on Saturday.

The Government had accordingly revised its calendar of borrowings to ensure that there was no paucity of funds for Rythu Bandhu. The results of May 7 auction, according to the RBI, will be announced on May 7 and payment by successful bidders will be made during the banking hours on May 8 at Mumbai and at respective regional offices of the Apex Bank.

Zaheerabad, Telangana:

Referring to the blockbuster Telugu film titled ‘RRR’, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a veiled attack on Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, alleging that the money collected in the state through “double R (RR) tax’ is being channelled to Delhi.

Addressing a rally in Zahirabad, PM Modi said that your love and support are so strong that it will give “sleepless nights to RR” after which people loudly cheered ‘Modi-Modi’.

“The Telugu film industry has given India blockbuster films like RRR. However, today, the Telangana Congress has burdened the state’s people with RR Tax. The film RRR has brought India’s name to the forefront worldwide. But this RR tax is bringing shame to India. There is widespread discussion about this RR tax in Telangana. It is alleged that industrialists and contractors in Telangana are required to pay a certain percentage of RR tax. It is claimed that a significant portion of the total collection here goes to Delhi as RR tax. I know you all are troubled by this RR Tax. I don’t need to delve into further detail. The public is now questioning: Who is this ‘R’, and where does this R-tax end up in Delhi?” PM Modi said.

He also reiterated his claim that Congress will bring an inheritance tax if they come to power.

“Congress has found a new way to loot you – inheritance tax. Under their rule, 55 per cent of your lifetime earnings won’t go to your children, but to their vote bank supporters. Beware of their dangerous intentions. BRS looted Telangana, now Congress is following suit. They’re suppressing files of the Kaleshwaram scam they once promised to investigate,” he said.

He further said that Congress and BRS are two sides of the same corruption coin.

“Congress and BRS are two sides of the same corruption coin. This was evident in the Delhi liquor scam, where BRS members were involved with a party allied with Congress. When action was taken against this scam, members of this corruption racket came together in support of each other,” PM Modi added.

The Prime Minister said that the vote bank for the Congress means everything to them.

“For us, each and every vote is superior, your dream is superior, but for the Congress, their vote bank means everything to them. The faith of someone who is not the vote bank of Congress does not matter to the Congress. This is why in Telangana, the government is trying to stop our festivals and celebrations. Even Ram Navami Shobha Yatra was prohibited to appease their vote bank,” he said.

He further said that “people of the Lingayat and Maratha community have 26 castes who are demanding to be included in the OBC, but the Congress does not want to include the Lingayat, Maratha, and the 26 castes into the OBS list, but they included Muslims in the OBC list overnight.”

“When Telangana was part of united Andhra Pradesh, Andhra gave a record number of seats to the Congress in 2004 and 2009. Instead of worrying about SC, ST, and BC, Congress started robbing them of their reservation. They made Andhra Pradesh a laboratory of appeasement, removing the reservation rights of BCs and giving them to Muslims. This unconstitutional act, reservation based on religion, goes against Baba Saheb’s sentiments. As this truth started reaching the SC, ST, and BC communities, Congress began sweating. They activated their dirty tricks department, spreading fake videos across the country. Telangana Congress and the Chief Minister himself are implicated in this. Can we expect people holding constitutional posts to behave like this?” he said.

Taking a staunch stance in support of women’s empowerment and safety, PM Modi said that under Congress’ rule, not only are women’s rights endangered, but so is their safety.

“When it comes to choosing between women’s safety and the vote bank, Congress prioritizes the latter. In contrast, BJP prioritizes women’s safety and respect above all else,” he said.

PM Modi urged the people of Telangana to ensure a resounding victory for him in the upcoming elections.

In the 2023 Assembly elections, BRS suffered a jolt after it was reduced to only 39 seats in the 119-member assembly. Congress under Revanth Reddy’s leadership came out victorious by winning 64 seats.

The seven phase Lok Sabha elections are underway and the counting of votes will be held on June 4.

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

Fresh off a resounding victory in the 2023 Assembly elections, the Congress is hoping to win 14 out of Telangana’s 17 Lok Sabha seats in the forthcoming parliamentary elections scheduled to be held on May 13.

While the party is sitting pretty in at least eight to nine seats, two seats in particular — Mahbubnagar and Malkajgiri — will be two ‘must-win’ seats in the eyes of the Congress leadership, given the close connection that Chief Minister and Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president A. Revanth Reddy has with these constituencies.

While Mahabubnagar is Mr. Revanth Reddy’s native district and from where he started his political career, first winning as a Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituency (ZPTC), the Malkajgiri seat is also of significance for him as he had held this seat till being elected as Chief Minister in 2023. A victory for the party in both these seats will further stamp his authority on the party, as it is Mr. Revanth Reddy’s influence and popularity that is expected to draw votes, rather than the candidates themselves.

Mr. Revanth Reddy, who is keenly aware of this, is pulling out all the stops to ensure victory. He has held the most number of public meetings in Mahbubnagar constituency, and has also been regularly visiting Malkajgiri constituency.

The Congress faces a stiff challenge from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is giving it a serious fight in both constituencies by fielding some big names. In Mahabubnagar, the BJP has fielded D.K. Aruna, a known face in Telangana politics with an impressive resume. First entering the Assembly in 2004 on a Samajwadi Party ticket from Gadwal, she later shifted to the Congress from where she won two more terms in 2009 and 2014.

Ms. Aruna’s father, Ch. Narsireddy, was an MLA as well as her brother Rammohan Reddy, who recently lost as the BRS candidate in Makthal. Her husband’s elder brother D.K. Samarasimha Reddy was a Congress stalwart in the 1980s and 1990s, known for his iron grip on the district, while her nephew Bandla Krishnamohan Reddy is the present MLA from BRS.

Incidentally, her husband D.K. Bharatsimha Reddy was elected as an independent MLA in 1994 from Gadwal constituency defeating his own brother. Ms. Aruna moved over to the BJP before the 2019 elections, losing the Mahabubnagar seat to the BRS candidate Mannem Srinivas Reddy. However, she came second leaving the Congress much behind.

An aggressive Ms. Aruna has had her eye on a Parliamentary constituency for the last five years, and is now all prepared to give Congress candidate Ch. Vamshichand Reddy a run for his money. Mr. Vamshichand is AICC Secretary (Organisation) and a former NSUI and Youth Congress president and a former MLA.

Ms. Aruna is projecting herself as a potential Cabinet Minister at the Centre if she wins and the NDA government is re-elected at the Centre for a third term.

Congress won nine out of 11 constituencies in undivided Mahbubnagar district, which is also home to Nagarkurnool Parliamentary constituency. While it enjoys a strong presence on the ground, a resurgent BJP and the ‘Modi factor’ is what Ms. Aruna hopes to cash in on apart from her own influence in the district.

Given what is at stake, Mr. Revanth Reddy, during his several visits to the district, has targeted Ms. Aruna personally as well as the BJP. People see this as some sort of nervousness within the Chief Minister’s camp.

Malkajgiri is a different challenge

The Malkajgiri seat is proving to be a different challenge as the odds are stacked against the Congress in all respects. The only positive factor is that it was represented by the Chief Minister himself. All the seven Assembly constituencies here are held by the Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS), and overcoming it is not going to be an easy task. Interestingly, the BRS itself looks in a pretty bad shape despite having all seven MLAs, and the real challenge to Mr. Revanth Reddy comes from the BJP’s Eatala Rajender.

Congress has fielded Sunita Mahender Reddy, wife of BRS MLC Mahender Reddy. Till recently, she was the Zilla Parishad chairperson of the undivided as well as truncated Ranga Reddy district. She is a known name but is relatively new to the voters of Malkajgiri, the largest constituency in the country with 32 lakh voters.

Mr. Revanth Reddy can take some solace from the fact that he emerged victorious from Malkajgiri in 2019 in a similar situation, with the BRS, which was in power, using all its might to deny him a victory. His victory then was widely regarded as one of the finest election battles, coming within three months of his defeat in Kodangal in the Assembly elections. Ms. Sunita, however, does not possess the same stature and name recall that Mr. Revanth Reddy has.

Throughout his campaign, Mr. Revanth Reddy is harping on the sentiment that being the Chief Minister, he can contribute a lot more to the constituency if a Congress candidate is elected. ‘A vote for Sunita is a vote for Revanth’ is the campaigning theme for the Congress there.

BJP’s Eatala Rajender is a known face across Telangana, and his rebellion against then Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao earned him some respect. But curiously enough, he lost the Assembly election from Huzurabad constituency in the November 2023 elections. Though Ms. Sunita Reddy is the candidate, the election primarily is between Mr. Revanth Reddy and the BJP. The BRS, despite having seven MLAs within the Parliament constituency, does not seem to be in a serious battle. It has fielded Ragidi Laxma Reddy from the Parliamentary constituency. Mr. Laxma Reddy had switched his loyalties to the BRS in the last Assembly elections after being denied a Congress ticket.

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:

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has used the Telangana phone tapping row to launch a two-pronged attack on the Bharat Rashtra Samithi and the BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha election. Addressing a rally in Telangana’s Rangrareddy district yesterday, Mr Gandhi said, “What your former Chief Minister (K Chandrashekar Rao) did here, the Prime Minister and the BJP is doing in Delhi, Enforcement Directorate has become Extortion Directorate.”

Mr Gandhi’s remarks on the central agency are part of the Opposition’s charge at the Narendra Modi government, accusing it of misusing probe agencies for political objectives. Leaders of the INDIA bloc hit out at the Centre on this issue during a rally at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest in a money laundering case.   

The KCR-led BRS government is at the centre of a massive controversy in the wake of allegations that senior police officers tapped the phones of Opposition leaders, including current Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, and several celebrities and businessmen.

Several senior police officers have been arrested after Mr Reddy ordered an investigation into the matter. It is also alleged that surveillance of businessmen was used to blackmail them into contributing to the BRS party fund.

The Congress and the BJP have hit out at the BRS as the shocking allegations come to the fore.

Former minister and KCR’s son KT Rama Rao has suggested that if any phone-tapping occurred, it may have been limited to a few troublemakers or criminals. The Congress, he said, was “exaggerating it as an international scam”, he said at a party meeting.

This drew a sharp response from the Chief Minister, who said KTR was “shamelessly admitting” to tapping phones and called for accountability.

BJP MP from Telangana and Union minister G Kishan Reddy has said the Election Commission should rethink BRS’ recognition in the light of the allegations. “This is not an ordinary case. It is a very serious matter. This is not only a political vindictive action and not just a phone tapping matter for political benefit. But, a violation of personal privacy, respect of individuals and concerned rules had happened,” he told reporters here.

The 17 seats of Telangana are voting in a single phase on May 13. In the 2019 elections, the BRS had won nine seats, the BJP four, the Congress three and Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM one. With the Congress coming to power with a thumping win in the state polls last year, the party is looking to up its tally this general election.

In his address in Rangareddy, Mr Gandhi said “everyone in Telangana knows that Congress is fulfilling promises”. “The unemployment in the country is the highest in 40 years, but the Telangana government has given government jobs to 30,000 people and 50,000 more people will get jobs,” he said.