No urea, no vote: BRS to abstain from VP election citing Telangana farmers’ plight

Hyderabad: The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) on Monday declared it will abstain from the upcoming Vice-Presidential election, accusing both the NDA and INDIA blocs of ignoring Telangana’s urgent need for urea to support farmers.

Abstention cited as the only option

BRS working president KT Rama Rao (KTR) told reporters there is no ‘None of the Above’ (NOTA) facility in the poll, leaving abstention as the only means of protest. “We are staying away from voting to underline the suffering of our farmers,” he said.

Urea supply at the core of the decision

KTR reminded that on August 20, the BRS offered to back whichever alliance guaranteed a supply of at least two lakh tonnes of urea to Telangana.

“Despite repeated appeals, neither the Centre nor the state responded. Farmers are facing severe shortages,” he noted.

‘Independent party, No Delhi bosses’

Reiterating BRS’s stance, KTR said, “We are not subservient to NDA or INDIA. The people of Telangana are our only bosses. This decision reflects our commitment to them, not to political blocs in Delhi.”

Leaders consulted before final call

The boycott decision followed discussions with the party’s MPs, MLAs, MLCs and senior leaders. The BRS currently has four members in the Rajya Sabha and none in the Lok Sabha.

Kavitha's suspension was kept off agenda

Asked about his sister K Kavitha’s recent resignation after suspension for alleged anti-party activities, KTR refused to be drawn.

“The party has deliberated and taken a decision. I have no further comment,” he said. Kavitha had earlier blamed cousins T Harish Rao and J. Santosh Kumar for the ‘corruption tag’ attached to the Kaleshwaram irrigation project.

KTR hits out at Revanth Reddy, Congress

Meanwhile, KTR also launched a scathing attack on Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and the Congress party, demanding that they apologise to the people of Telangana for spreading falsehoods about the Kaleshwaram project while simultaneously using its waters for new schemes.

KTR described the Congress government’s actions as “shameful and hypocritical,” accusing it of looting public money, colluding with blacklisted contractors, and betraying the farming community.

He said that the very Congress leaders who once branded Kaleshwaram as “Kuleshwaram” and called it a failed project are today laying foundation stones for projects that depend entirely on its waters.

“The Congress government itself has admitted that Kaleshwaram is Telangana’s Kalpavriksha and Kamadhenu. Yet they continue to malign the project in public while enjoying its benefits. This is duplicity at its worst,” he charged.

Inflated estimates, public loot

The BRS leader accused the Congress government of grossly inflating project costs to loot public funds. He pointed out that estimates prepared at Rs 1,100 crores during the BRS regime to bring Godavari water to Hyderabad from Kondapochamma Sagar have now been inflated to Rs 7,390 crores under Revanth’s rule.

Similarly, the Musi beautification project, originally estimated at Rs 16,000 crores, has been inflated to a staggering Rs 1.5 lakh crores. “These inflated figures are not about development. They are about commissions and contractor kickbacks. Revanth Reddy is looting in instalments to protect his CM chair,” KTR alleged.

Medigadda Barrage Neglect

KTR expressed concern that repairs to Medigadda Barrage were being deliberately delayed to favour Banakacharla projects. He reminded that Medigadda withstood floods of 12 lakh cusecs without collapse, yet three piers remain unrepaired.

“Out of Rs 4,000 crores spent on Medigadda, only Rs 250 crores are required for repairs. L&T has even offered to take up the works at its own cost. Why then is the government blocking it? Where is the question of public money being wasted? This is a conspiracy against Telangana’s lifeline,” he said.

Blacklisted companies favoured

The BRS working president also slammed the Congress regime for awarding multi-crore contracts to companies blacklisted by both the Central Government and the HMWSSB. He said the same company responsible for collapses in road and water projects has now been given contracts worth over Rs 7,000 crores.

“Why is the Congress government favouring blacklisted firms? This is nothing but a criminal conspiracy to plunder Telangana’s resources,” he declared.

Kaleshwaram’s importance reiterated

Reasserting the scale and benefits of Kaleshwaram, KTR explained that the project is not just a barrage or canal but a massive network comprising three barrages, 15 reservoirs, 19 substations, 21 pumping stations, 203 km of tunnels, 1,531 km of gravity canals and 98 km of pressure mains, with a storage capacity of 141 TMC and the ability to lift water to 530 metres above sea level.

“Kaleshwaram is the world’s largest lift irrigation project. Already, 240 TMCs have been utilised and 20 lakh acres irrigated. No Chief Minister should insult a project built with people’s money by calling it a failure. Revanth Reddy has tarnished Telangana’s image,” he said.

Demand for Accountability

KTR concluded by demanding that Revanth Reddy and Congress leaders apologise unconditionally to the people of Telangana for defaming Kaleshwaram, inflating estimates, looting public wealth, and colluding with discredited contractors.

He also urged the Speaker to immediately disqualify defected MLAs, pointing out that even the PCC President and senior leaders have admitted to the defections. “This government thrives on lies, hypocrisy, and corruption. Telangana deserves better,” KTR asserted.