Revanth targets BRS over decade-long rule, weaver ‘distress’ in Sircilla

Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy launched a scathing attack on the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) on Wednesday, alleging that its leaders amassed wealth during their nearly decade-long rule while ordinary citizens such as weavers, Gulf migrants, and farmers suffered. Accompanied by Cabinet colleagues, party leaders, and cadres, Reddy embarked on a padyatra through the main streets of Sircilla before addressing a large public gathering in the textile town.

TPCC president B. Mahesh Kumar Goud joined him on the day-long campaign. Reddy laid foundation stones for ₹345.78 crore worth of development works in the constituency currently represented by BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao. The Chief Minister accused Rama Rao of transforming Sircilla into a place where suicides among weavers and migration to Gulf countries were commonplace, even as the BRS maintained power in the region.

Reddy also criticized the BRS government's handling of the Kaleshwaram project, sand mining in the Manair river, and the 2017 incident involving Dalits protesting against illegal sand transportation. He contended that the BRS government spent ₹2,234 crore on weavers over its nearly 10-year tenure, compared to the ₹1,731 crore Congress government allocated to Rajanna Sircilla district in the past two-and-a-half years.

Reddy announced that pending Bathukamma saree bills had been settled, weavers' loans had been waived, and an ex gratia payment of ₹5 lakh had been introduced for families of deceased Gulf migrant workers from Telangana. He further accused BRS president K. Chandrasekhar Rao of promoting nepotism and challenged Rama Rao to release details of his family's assets.

Reddy alleged that several BRS leaders benefited from the rehabilitation package meant for displaced landowners affected by the mid-Manair project by misusing their power. The CM further alleged that BRS leaders had acquired farmhouses across the state, three five-star hotels near Hyderabad's Hi-tech City, and invested ill-gotten wealth abroad.

Reddy urged voters to elect Congress in the upcoming Assembly elections from Sircilla, promising to induct the Congress MLA from the constituency into the Cabinet and requested the TPCC president to consider a member of the weavers' community for nomination to the Legislative Council.