The chief minister implied that KCR's administration receiving more likes in a social media poll didn't necessarily mean better governance than his.
Published Feb 01, 2025 | 12:02 AM ⚊ Updated Feb 01, 2025 | 12:02 AM
Revanth Reddy disputed KCR's claim that people were unhappy because the Congress government had not kept its promises.
Seeming stung by Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) supremo K Chandrasekhar Rao’s recent retort to Congress, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Friday, 31 January, reacted sharply to the former chief minister’s self-praise over receiving more “likes” in a social media poll on his tenure.
“KCR, who served as the chief minister of Telangana and as a central minister, is now sitting at his farmhouse, counting the likes he is getting. I am worried what is happening to him,” Reddy said, whilst addressing a public meeting at Mogiligidda in Rangareddy district. He was referring to a Congress poll on X, which asked people their preferred governance – ‘Farmhouse governance’, a dig at the BRS or the Congress’ ‘Prajjala Vaddaku Palana’. Much to the grand old party’s discomfiture, more than 70 percent of the participants chose ‘Farmhouse governance’.
The chief minister continued, “In a similar poll on who was the better actor between Salman Khan and Rakhi Sawant in the past, the latter got more votes. Does that mean she was a better actor than Salman Khan?” He implied that KCR’s rule receiving more likes in a social media poll didn’t necessarily mean better governance than his.
Taking strong exception to KCR’s statement that “if he decided to hit, it wouldn’t be normal,” Revanth Reddy remarked, “It is time for KCR to first stand steadily on his own feet before experimenting with landing blows on others.”
He disputed the former chief minister’s claim that people were unhappy because the Congress government had not kept its promises. “In fact, it is the other way around. KCR failed to keep most of his promises. As for the Congress government, we have been implementing our promises one after another,” he said, whilst listing statistics on schemes already rolled out.
Revanth Reddy asserted, “KCR has a history of denying Rythu Bandhu benefits to farmers under the pretext of Assembly elections. But soon after coming to power, our government deposited the pending Rythu Bandhu money into farmers’ bank accounts. KCR’s government released ₹18,000 crore towards farm loan waivers from 2014 to December 2023, but only cleared ₹3,000 crore of outstanding debt. The remaining amount went towards clearing the interest arrears that had accrued on the loans. My government has waived ₹21,000 crore of farm loans in just one year.”
He also challenged KCR to come to the Assembly. “If he does, I will provide him with statistics on the farm loan waiver.” The chief minister said the government will cover all eligible landless farmers under Atmeeya Rythu Bharosa and ensure that they make Rythu Bharosa payments to landed farmers in phases by 31 March this year.
Mocking KCR’s claim of closely monitoring the Congress government’s performance, Revanth Reddy quipped, “I don’t know what he is looking at so seriously. Let him first discipline his son [KT Rama Rao] and nephew Harish Rao. He has unleashed them on the people of Telangana.”
The chief minister further criticised KCR for not fulfilling his promises of allocating funds to Jahangir Peer Dargah and Vemulawada Rajanna temple. “KCR is anti-farmer. He let Palamuru turn fallow,” he remarked.
He highlighted that the Congress government had taken steps to recruit youths for 55,142 vacancies across various departments.
Meanwhile, Revanth Reddy announced that the government intends to convene an Assembly session in the first week of February, during which they will table the caste census report and address the sub-categorisation of SCs, as directed by the Supreme Court.
He also assured that the state government would soon conduct elections for panchayats, Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituencies, and Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituencies and urged party workers to prepare for yet another electoral victory for the party.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
