Hyderabad’s political arena is heating up as Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy made a passionate plea to voters on Monday, urging them to reject divisive politics in the upcoming municipal elections scheduled for February 11. Addressing a packed press conference, Reddy took direct aim at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing it of fueling communal hatred to garner votes.
Reddy didn’t hold back, labeling the BJP’s tactics as a desperate ploy to manufacture fear around AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi. ‘The BJP is obsessed with Owaisi,’ he declared. ‘They claim devotion to Lord Ram but chant Owaisi’s name daily. He’s their political lifeline.’ The CM questioned why the BJP, in power at the Center, failed to rein in Owaisi if he posed such a threat, pointing out AIMIM’s legitimate participation in elections across states like Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh.
Turning to local issues, Reddy criticized BJP state president Nitin Nabin for invoking Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s name during a rally in Mahbubnagar. He recalled Modi’s unfulfilled promise from his Gujarat CM days to elevate the Palamuru-Rangareddy project to national status—a pledge ignored even after three terms as PM. ‘What does Modi have to do with local body polls?’ Reddy asked sharply.
The Congress leader highlighted the BJP’s alleged neglect of Telangana despite 12 years in power. Key projects like the IT Investment Region (ITIR) were scrapped, and the semiconductor initiative was shifted to Andhra Pradesh under pressure. Reddy accused the Center of discriminating against southern states, citing fiscal data: for every rupee Telangana contributes, it receives just 42 paise, far less than northern states like Bihar (Rs 6.16) or Uttar Pradesh (Rs 2.90).
Reddy challenged Union Ministers from Telangana, G. Kishan Reddy and Bandi Sanjay Kumar, for their silence on this injustice. As polls near, his call for development-focused voting underscores a broader battle against what he terms the BJP’s ‘political bankruptcy.’ Voters now hold the key to whether hate or progress prevails in Telangana’s urban governance.