In a fiery address ahead of Telangana’s municipal elections on February 11, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy rallied voters against the BJP’s strategy of hate and division. Speaking at a press meet in Hyderabad on Monday, he exposed what he called the saffron party’s reliance on communal rhetoric to mask governance failures.
The CM zeroed in on the BJP’s fixation with AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, whom they portray as a bogeyman for votes. ‘They invoke Ram but obsess over Owaisi every day,’ Reddy quipped, questioning the Center’s inability to curb him despite its authority. He defended AIMIM as a democratic player contesting polls nationwide and slammed the BJP for perpetual fear-mongering.
Reddy shifted focus to unkept promises, referencing BJP leader Nitin Nabin’s rally in Mahbubnagar where PM Modi’s name was used to woo voters. He reminded the audience of Modi’s 2009 visit as Gujarat CM, promising national project status for Palamuru-Rangareddy—a commitment gathering dust. ‘Local elections aren’t a platform for national figures,’ he asserted.
Delving into specifics, Reddy listed grievances: the canceled ITIR project, the semiconductor relocation to Andhra, and a pattern of bias against southern states. Backing his claims with numbers, he noted Telangana’s poor return on tax contributions—42 paise per rupee—compared to Bihar’s windfall of Rs 6.16. Why, he asked, have Telangana’s BJP MPs stayed mum?
As campaigning intensifies, Reddy’s message resonates: prioritize progress over polarization. The municipal polls could signal Telangana’s rejection of national-level neglect, setting the stage for a mandate on real development issues like infrastructure and equity.