Telangana Congress Chief Promises Farm Loan Waiver, Criticizes CM in Controversial Remarks

Revanth Reddy, the Telangana Congress chief, has promised a farm loan waiver of up to ₹2 lakh if his party is elected to power in the state. Reddy made this commitment while criticizing the current Chief Minister, K. Chandrashekar Rao, for failing to fulfill the Congress party's previous promises, including a farm loan waiver, enhanced financial assistance schemes, and other benefits for farmers, women, and unemployed youth.

In a controversial statement, Reddy accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of trying to win elections by creating a communal divide. He quoted Modi as saying that the properties of Hindus would be re-distributed to Muslims if Congress came to power, and criticized this as spreading lies. Reddy also attacked the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) party, alleging that its president K Chandrasekhar Rao has "mortgaged" the Secunderabad Lok Sabha seat to the BJP to secure bail for his daughter in the Delhi Liquor scam case.

Harish Rao, a senior leader of the BRS party, has challenged Reddy to quit as Chief Minister if he fails to implement the promised measures by August 15, 2024. Rao has offered to resign as an MLA and not contest the by-election if Reddy fulfills the commitments, and has invited the Chief Minister for a public debate on the issue.

Why this matters: The upcoming elections in Telangana are shaping up to be a high-stakes battle between the ruling BRS party, the opposition Congress, and the BJP. The promises and allegations made by political leaders are likely to have a significant impact on voter preferences and the overall outcome of the polls.

Reddy expressed confidence that the Congress party would win the Secunderabad Lok Sabha constituency, which he said would likely lead to the party forming the government at the Centre. He criticized the Union Minister for Tourism, G Kishan Reddy, for his lack of contribution to the development of the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. Reddy reassured the people that a Congress government would continue to focus on developing Hyderabad and supporting the welfare of all its residents, particularly those in slums.

Key Takeaways

• Telangana Congress chief promises ₹2 lakh farm loan waiver if elected.
• Reddy accuses PM Modi of creating communal divide, BRS of mortgaging Secunderabad seat to BJP.
• BRS leader Harish Rao challenges Reddy to implement promises by Aug 2024 or quit.
• Reddy confident Congress will win Secunderabad, form govt at Centre.
• Upcoming Telangana elections seen as high-stakes battle between BRS, Congress, and BJP.