Municipal polls: CM Revanth targets Centre’s ‘fiscal discrimination’ and ‘10 years of BRS loot’

Hyderabad: Launching an aggressive campaign for the upcoming municipal elections across 116 municipalities and seven corporations, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has called upon urban voters to choose between a ‘tainted past’ and a ‘progressive future.’

CM Revanth Reddy accused both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) of neglecting Telangana’s interests while maintaining a ‘Fevicol-like’ secret bond to protect each other from legal scrutiny.

‘Modi’s 12-year rule a zero for Telangana’

Directing his first line of attack toward the Central government, CM Reddy questioned the BJP’s contribution to the state since 2014.

‘National Status betrayal’: He reminded voters that PM Narendra Modi had promised National Project status for the Palamuru-Rangareddy project back in 2014, yet remains silent a decade later.

Union Minister’s campaign: Taking pot shots at Union Minister Bandi Sanjay’s past GHMC campaign promise of ‘a car for a car’ for flood victims, noting that not a single rupee reached the affected citizens despite the BJP winning a significant share of votes.

‘Neighbourly disregard’: CM Reddy criticised Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis for campaigning in Adilabad without offering cooperation on the Pranahita-Chevella project, calling his visit an ‘insult to the people of Telangana.’

Tax devolution injustice

The Chief Minister, Revanth Reddy, presented a fiscal report card, highlighting the Central Government’s alleged discrimination against Southern states.

“For every Rs 1 Telangana pays to the Centre in taxes, we get back only 42 paise. Meanwhile, Bihar receives Rs 6.06 and Uttar Pradesh gets Rs 2.90. Why haven’t Bandi Sanjay or Kishan Reddy questioned this blatant discrimination in Delhi?” he questioned.

CM Revanth asserted that the funds Telangana receives are its constitutional right under ‘auto-mode’ devolution and not a result of any special effort or recommendation by BJP ministers.

‘10 years of BRS loot’

The CM criticised the previous BRS regime, blaming former chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao, KTR and Harish Rao for the infrastructure gaps in urban local bodies.

Phone Tapping and corruption: He alleged that the BRS leadership is suffering from a ‘maniacal obsession,’ citing the illegal telephone tapping scandal used to extort hundreds of crores.

The ‘Shield’ allegation: CM Revanth claimed that the BRS supported the Centre’s most controversial laws (Note Ban, Farm Laws, Triple Talaq) in exchange for protection. “The BJP is now shielding KCR’s family from arrest in the Kaleshwaram and Formula-E scams,” he charged.

Congress: Promises delivered

In a bid to showcase the government’s efficiency, the chief minister, Revanth Reddy, listed several welfare milestones achieved in his short tenure:

Financial stability: Employee salaries are now paid on the 1st of every month.

Women’s empowerment: Over Rs 9,000 crores invested in free RTC bus travel for women.

Direct benefits: Farm loan waivers, a Rs 500 bonus for fine-variety paddy, and the distribution of Indiramma houses (3,500 per constituency).

Future planning: Creation of the Young India Skills University and the development of the Future City to drive global investment.

CM Revanth urged voters not to be swayed by communal politics or empty slogans. “A vote for BRS is a vote for the past; a vote for BJP is a vote for Delhi’s interests. Only Congress stands for the self-respect of Telangana,” he stated.