HYDERABAD: Working president of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), K. T. Rama Rao (KTR), has described the party’s upcoming BRS Silver Jubilee meeting on 27 April as a grand celebration and a family festival, calling on party workers to participate in large numbers.
Addressing party cadres, KTR criticised opposition parties and said that while only two parties ruled the country for 77 years, BRS made its mark within just 25 years. He noted that while N. T. Rama Rao was the first to launch a regional party, it was K. Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) who shook Delhi by founding a new party in 2001.
KTR highlighted KCR’s 14-year-long solo struggle for Telangana, during which he endured great humiliation but ultimately succeeded in achieving statehood. Drawing a comparison, he pointed out that in 1971, the Telangana Praja Samithi had won 11 parliamentary seats, only for Indira Gandhi to absorb all its MPs into the Congress. In contrast, KCR secured Telangana without aligning with any other party.
He recalled the early support of leaders like Konda Lakshman Bapuji, who was the first to resign for the Telangana cause. He added that BRS once had no office space but today functions successfully across three fronts — movement, governance, and opposition.
Accusations against Congress and BJP
KTR accused the Congress government of creating chaos in Hyderabad using HYDRA in recent months. He alleged that roadside vendors, rickshaw pullers, and the youth were stripped of their livelihoods and that the real estate sector was devastated while the poor were harassed.
Targeting Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, KTR sarcastically compared him to actor Salman Khan, stating that if Salman could go to jail for hunting a blackbuck, then Revanth’s alleged role in the poaching of four blackbucks was even more questionable.
He criticised the BJP for failing to fulfil its promise of ₹1.5 lakh crore for the Musi River development, saying not a single rupee had been released despite making 420 promises. KTR accused both the BJP and Congress of being two sides of the same coin and condemned the use of central agencies like the CBI and ED for political vendettas. He said he had even complained to the Prime Minister personally but received no response.
KTR concluded by asserting that whenever elections are held, BRS will achieve a sweeping victory. He cited the party’s past success in winning all seats in Hyderabad and securing 99 GHMC wards in 2015 as proof of public trust, declaring that neither the BJP nor the Congress stands a chance.