Union Budget 2025: BRS criticizes Centre for raw deal meted out to Telangana

Hyderabad: Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president KT Rama Rao (KTR) has strongly condemned the Union Budget, stating that it has once again proven that national parties cannot safeguard Telangana's interests.

He accused both the BJP and Congress of failing the state and demanded an apology from Telangana's BJP ministers, Congress MPs, and Chief Minister Revanth Reddy for their inability to secure funds for the state.

KTR pointed out that despite Telangana sending 16 MPs—eight each from BJP and Congress—to Parliament, the state has received "absolutely nothing" from the budget. He alleged that CM Revanth Reddy, instead of protecting Telangana’s interests, had been making secret deals with the BJP, leading to the state's neglect of central allocations.

Centre sidelines Telangana in budget allocations

The BRS working president criticized the BJP-led central government for prioritizing BJP-ruled states in budget allocations while sidelining Telangana. He highlighted that BJP MPs from other states have secured substantial funds for their regions, whereas Telangana’s BJP MPs and ministers have been ineffective and powerless.

"BJP’s 'double-engine' government claim has been exposed as a farce. Despite having eight BJP MPs and two union ministers from Telangana, the state has not received a single rupee," KTR said.

KTR also accused Revanth Reddy of visiting Delhi multiple times, not to secure funds for Telangana but to serve political interests. He claimed that despite Telangana electing eight Congress MPs, they failed to bring any allocations to the state. He further alleged that the Congress has never effectively raised Telangana’s concerns in Parliament.

He criticized the central government for ignoring Telangana in critical areas like higher education institutions (IIT, IIM, IISER, NID, IIIT) and failing to fulfill commitments made in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Act, such as setting up the Bayyaram Steel Plant and granting national status to irrigation projects.

KTR warned that the people of Telangana have realized the importance of regional parties in securing state rights, citing Bihar and Andhra Pradesh as examples where regional parties have gained prominence in budget. He accused the BJP of deceiving Telangana while favoring poll-bound Bihar with major budgetary incentives.

He concluded by asserting that the BJP’s neglect of South Indian states, despite their significant contribution to the national exchequer, is against the spirit of federalism. "The central government’s discriminatory approach towards Telangana has once again been exposed in this budget," he said.

Harish Rao ridicules Union Budget

Former Finance Minister T Harish Rao launched a blistering attack on the BJP government at the Centre for failing to include Telangana in the Union Budget 2025-26, which was presented to Parliament on Saturday, while prioritizing states with upcoming elections. He chastised Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for delivering a budget that only benefits a few states, casting doubt on the BJP's Vikasit Bharat (Developed India) concept.

Harish Rao claimed that the state had been misled once more, citing Telangana's 5.1% contribution to national GDP. He chastised the Centre for failing to meet its obligations under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, including funding for the tribal university. He also accused Telangana's Congress administration of failing to acquire funding, mocking Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and Telangana Congress MPs for their repeated visits to Delhi that yielded no results.