‘If NOTA was option, we would have chosen it’: KTR on boycotting VP election

HYDERABAD: Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) working president K T Rama Rao (KTR) launched a scathing attack on state and central governments about the shortage of urea, asserting that his party has decided not to participate in the Vice President election.

Regarding the urea shortage crisis, the BRS working president stated that both Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party have failed Telangana’s farmers.

Speaking to the mediaperson at Telangana Bhavan, KTR said, “For the last 20 days, BRS has been warning both state and central governments about the shortage of urea. Yet they have failed to respond. As a mark of protest and in solidarity with 71 lakh Telangana farmers, BRS has decided not to participate in the Vice President election. If NOTA was an option, we would have chosen it”.

He also demanded that they apologise to the people of Telangana for spreading falsehoods about the Kaleshwaram project while simultaneously using its waters for new schemes, a release said.

#WATCH | Hyderabad | BRS Working President KT Rama Rao says, “It is truly shameful that the Chief Minister and the Congress Party, who on one hand called Kaleshwaram a failed project today, are laying a foundation stone for a Rs 7400 crore project to bring water from… pic.twitter.com/0neQsCzmuB

— ANI (@ANI) September 8, 2025

KTR described the Congress government’s actions as “shameful and hypocritical,” accusing it of looting public money, colluding with blacklisted contractors, and betraying the farming community. “The Congress government itself has admitted that Kaleshwaram is Telangana’s Kalpavriksha and Kamadhenu. Yet they continue to malign the project in public while enjoying its benefits. This is duplicity at its worst,” he charged.

The BRS leader accused the Congress government of grossly inflating project costs to loot public funds. He pointed out that estimates prepared at Rs 1,100 crores during the BRS regime to bring Godavari water to Hyderabad from Kondapochamma Sagar have now been inflated to Rs 7,390 crore under Revanth Reddy’s rule.

Similarly, the Musi beautification project, originally estimated at Rs 16,000 crores, has been inflated to a staggering Rs 1.5 lakh crores. “These inflated figures are not about development. They are about commissions and contractor kickbacks. Revanth Reddy is looting in instalments to protect his CM chair,” KTR alleged.

KTR expressed concern that repairs to the Medigadda Barrage were being deliberately delayed to favour Banakacharla projects. He reminded that Medigadda withstood floods of 12 lakh cusecs without collapse, yet three piers remain unrepaired.

“Out of Rs 4,000 crores spent on Medigadda, only Rs 250 crores are required for repairs. L&T has even offered to take up the works at its own cost. Why then is the government blocking it? Where is the question of public money being wasted? This is a conspiracy against Telangana’s lifeline,” he said.

The BRS working president also slammed the Congress regime for awarding multi-crore contracts to companies blacklisted by both the Central Government and the HMWSSB. He said the same company responsible for the collapses in road and water projects has now been given contracts worth over Rs 7,000 crore. “Why is the Congress government favouring blacklisted firms? This is nothing but a criminal conspiracy to plunder Telangana’s resources,” he declared.

Reasserting the scale and benefits of Kaleshwaram, KTR explained that the project is not just a barrage or canal but a massive network comprising three barrages, 15 reservoirs, 19 substations, 21 pumping stations, 203 km of tunnels, 1,531 km of gravity canals and 98 km of pressure mains, with a storage capacity of 141 TMC and the ability to lift water to 530 metres above sea level.

“Kaleshwaram is the world’s largest lift irrigation project. Already, 240 TMCs have been utilised and 20 lakh acres irrigated. No Chief Minister should insult a project built with people’s money by calling it a failure. Revanth Reddy has tarnished Telangana’s image,” he said.

KTR concluded by demanding that Revanth Reddy and Congress leaders apologise unconditionally to the people of Telangana for defaming Kaleshwaram, inflating estimates, looting public wealth, and colluding with discredited contractors, a release said.

He also urged the Speaker to immediately disqualify defected MLAs, pointing out that even the PCC President and senior leaders have admitted to the defections. “This government thrives on lies, hypocrisy, and corruption. Telangana deserves better,” KTR asserted. (ANI)