The chief minister was in Delhi when KTR waited for him at the Press Club.
Published Jul 08, 2025 | 7:08 PM ⚊ Updated Jul 08, 2025 | 7:08 PM
KTR takes up Revanth Reddy on debate challenge, reserves him a seat
“Over 600 farmers have died by suicide since the Congress came to power. Did the chief minister even observe a minute’s silence for them?” he asked, questioning the government’s commitment to farmers.
He criticised the Congress for failing to deliver on its electoral promises. “Revanth said six guarantees would be implemented within 100 days. It’s been 18 months and not even one has been delivered,” KTR alleged.
He also accused Revanth of lacking knowledge about irrigation and working to “divert Telangana’s waters to Andhra Pradesh.” Taking one more dig at the chief minister, KTR said, “Choose the time, date, and place. Even Jubilee Hills Palace, if that suits him… But don’t issue hollow challenges and run away.”
The rhetoric of an open challenge to debate is not new in Telangana’s politics. In the last 18 months, both Congress and BRS have been challenging each other to openly discuss issues affecting the state. The challenges were mostly around the allegation that the BRS had hurt the state’s economy when it was in power, or the countercharge that the Congress underdelivered on its poll promises.
However, the last challenge Revanth Reddy threw at the BRS took a serious turn with KTR accepting the dare. Speaking at the LB Stadium recently, the chief minister invited the BRS for a public debate, while claiming that the Congress has done more for the farmers than the main opposition party had done in a decade.
KTR accepted the challenge on Saturday, stating that the BRS had turned Telangana into a paradise for farmers. He accused the Congress of making hollow promises to the farmers and not ensuring enough support.
Following the chief minister’s absence at the debate, Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar defended Revanth Reddy.
“If you have any democratic values, get a letter written by KCR recognising you (KTR) as the opposition leader,” he challenged. “We are ready to discuss this. We are inviting you to discuss this. Let’s do this in the Assembly so that the debate is recorded. The future generations will realise who did what for farmers,” he dared.
He also asserted that the chief minister always implied an open debate in the Assembly when he issued the challenge.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
