Hyderabad: Former minister and BRS MLA Harish Rao launched a sharp attack on Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, saying he deserved a Nobel Prize for “lying in politics”.
Addressing a felicitation programme for elected sarpanches, deputy sarpanches and ward members in Sangareddy constituency on Saturday, Harish Rao said the BRS proved its strength despite Congress using cases, money and intimidation. He stated that the party won more than 40 per cent of sarpanch posts, crossing 4,000 seats across Telangana.
Referring to agriculture, Harish Rao alleged that farmers were struggling for fertilisers while the Chief Minister focused on apps and maps. Therefore, he urged sarpanches to work with confidence. According to him, village heads alone had cheque power, unlike MLAs, ministers or even the Chief Minister.
He accused Revanth Reddy of inflating Congress figures in local body polls. Harish Rao said even BRS-backed sarpanches were shown as Congress winners. In Sangareddy, he noted, BRS-supported candidates won 27 out of 34 sarpanch posts.
Harish Rao attacks Congress over farmers, elections and governance
Continuing his remarks, Harish Rao said ruling parties usually won nearly 90 per cent seats in local elections. However, he added that the BRS securing 40 per cent reflected public anger against the Congress government.
He alleged that fear of defeat forced the Chief Minister to avoid cooperative, municipal, ZPTC and MPTC elections. Instead, he claimed, the Congress issued government orders to nominate leaders without conducting polls.
Mocking Revanth Reddy as a “flying Chief Minister”, Harish Rao said he frequently travelled between Delhi and Hyderabad. He asserted that the BRS would return to power within two years. He assured sarpanches that the remaining three years of their tenure would continue under a BRS government led by K. Chandrashekar Rao.
Turning again to agriculture, Harish Rao said the previous BRS government ensured adequate power, water and fertilisers. After the change in government, he alleged, farmers faced power shortages and long queues for fertilisers. He accused the Congress of skipping Rythu Bandhu payments twice, denying crop bonuses and failing to complete loan waivers.
Highlighting decentralised funding, Harish Rao said 85 per cent of 15th Finance Commission funds flowed directly from Delhi to village accounts. Therefore, he said sarpanches held strong financial authority and should act boldly. He announced that the BRS would soon organise training programmes for elected sarpanches on their powers and responsibilities.
He also criticised the Congress government for spending public money on football events and cosmetic projects. In contrast, he said the previous BRS government used CSR funds to build schools, roads, medical colleges and districts. According to him, the present government focused on events and summits instead of development.