Revanth Reddy – Strategy of Blame Game Politics

A Revanth Reddy, the Chief Minister of Telangana, is attempting to seize windows of opportunity on multiple fronts to cover up shortcomings, if any, in the fulfillment of 6 guarantees in their pre-poll promises within 100 days. For example, he launched tirade against the BRS for the hefty loans outstanding against the government, corruption particularly in the Kaleshwaram lift irrigation project and leaving behind the empty treasury. Furthermore, he is preparing the grounds to blame the Central government for not providing financial aid for various projects and failure to accord approval for pending and new projects.

Let me recount Revanth Reddy’s moves during the last week of December 2023. On 26 December 2023, Revanth Reddy accompanied his Deputy Chief Minister, Bhatti Vikramark, met PM Modi at Delhi and sought approval and assistance on 24 issues. On 27 December 2023, Revanth Reddy with irrigation and civil supplies minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, Chief Secretary A. Santhi Kumari and CMO officials met Union ministers Amit Shah, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Hardeep Singh Puri, to expeditiously resolve several outstanding post bifurcation issues.

On 28 December 2023, Revanth Reddy took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Congress Party Foundation Day celebrations in Nagpur: "Modi medicine will not work in the country in the coming days. Every medicine has an expiry date. Similarly, Narendra Modi's medicine will also expire soon. Modi medicine will not work in the country anymore." Revanth Reddy also said, "What the BJP calls a "double engine government" is actually "Adani-Pradani." Furthermore, he stated "Modi ji, you could not stop a common man from entering Parliament. It is not possible for the PM to stop the Congress from hoisting the flag on the historical Red Fort tomorrow."

Not to be left out is Revanth Reddy’s extending the invitation to PM Modi to visit Telangana. Of course, his speech was made with intent to demonstrate his fierce loyalty to the Congress Party High Command.

Surely, it is naïve to expect the Central Government to respond positively and immediately allocate funds to bale out Revanth Reddy and the Telangana Congress party just prior to the Lok Sabha elections.

Of course, Revanth Reddy’s long list of demands that may run into thousands of crores includes: 1) National project status to Palamur-Rangareddy project; 2) Pending financial assistance for backward districts from 2019-20 to 2023-24 at the rate of `450 crores per year, totaling 1,800 crores; 3) Pending 15th Finance Commission grants of 2,233.54 crores; 4) Upgrade pending 12 state highways into national highways; 5) Commencement of admissions to Mulugu Tribal University from 2023-24; 6) Establishment of a steel factory in Bayyaram of Khammam district and railway coach factory in Kazipet, as promised in AP Reorganization Act, 2014; 7) speedy bifurcation of common institutions located in Hyderabad that are listed in Schedule IX and X of the AP Reorganization Act, 2014; 8) bifurcation AP Bhavan in Delhi; 9) payment of arrears and interest by the AP government for using buildings in Hyderabad for government machinery; 10) Setting up of ITIR-Hyderabad project, as announced by the UPA government in 2010; 11) Release of central grants for Kakatiya Mega Textile Park in Warangal, under PM Mitra scheme; 13) Establishment of IIM in Hyderabad; 14) Shifting headquarters of Indian Army's Southern Command from Pune Cantonment to Secunderabad Cantonment; 15) Establishment of Sainik School in Secunderabad Cantonment; 16) support for technical assistance in the development of the Musi River, on a par with national and international best practices, such as Sabarmati Riverfront and Namami Gange, through the PPP model; 17) establishing sewage treatment plants (STPs) across the Musi Riverfront; 18) developing Hyderabad as a pollution-free urban growth hub; 19) support for harnessing solar energy; 20) establishment of the State Institution for Transformation (SIT), under the State Support Mission, a Central sector scheme to strengthen the capacities of states;

Other demands include: 1) allocation of funds under PM Awas Yojana to build Indiramma houses; 2) funds for second phase of Metro Rail; 3) allocate additional 88 crores to strengthen the anti-narcotics bureau to check the drug menace in Telangana and 90 crores to strengthen the TS Cyber Security Bureau; and 4) allocation of additional 29 IPS officers to the state for the new districts created by the BRS government.

Next, Revanth Reddy requested Niti Aayog to consider increasing allocations for states by the 16th Finance Commission, and funds for developing infrastructure facilities in the health and education sector besides seeking the release of pending funds of Rs 1,800 crores, with respect to the Backward Districts Development Grant, as per Section 94(2) of AP Reorganization Act, 2014. The meeting underscored the significance of cooperative federalism as a guiding principle for effective governance. Both Niti Aayog and the state government expressed their commitment to working in tandem to address the unique challenges and opportunities facing the state.

The team also met the UPSC officials to seek suggestions for reforming the TSPSC, on the lines of UPSC, alleging that the previous BRS government completely failed in maintaining the sanctity and reputation of TSPSC due to frequent paper leaks and cancellation of recruitment exams.

Adding to the above demands, the Roads and Buildings Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, also said that he would meet Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari in Delhi and request him to approve widening of Hyderabad-Vijayawada into a six-lane highway. Furthermore, seek approval for the proposals for upgrading 14 State roads - 1,656.6 km - to National Highways have been pending since 2015-16.

The Union Jal Shakti Minister, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, had made it clear that it was not possible to grant national status to the irrigation project, while agreeing to foot 60 percent of project costs under a Central scheme.

Considering the ‘Blame Game Politics” in vogue, the Central Government may not release financial aid expeditiously to enable Revanth Reddy and the Congress Party to showcase their achievements during the Lok Sabha election campaign.

Paradoxical it is to expect the Central Government to allot funds under PM Awas Yojana (Urban and Rural) to build Indiramma houses. Ipso facto, the TRS government failed to submit expenditure statements till date. Be that as it may, where are the under construction Indiramma Houses?

Furthermore, the demand for shifting Headquarters Southern Command from Pune to Secunderabad is quite foolhardy without taking into account operational requirements. Also, establishment of Sainik School in Secunderabad instead of a district is yet another irrational proposal.

In retrospect, the Modi-led NDA government too knows how to play politics with the Congress Party stalwarts. They too would announce projects under Central Schemes like the National Highways over which they would have executive control. On a selective basis, there would be announcements of approvals of other projects with nominal fund allocations in the budget before the elections.

To sum up, Revanth Reddy and his team went with a “Begging Bowl” and returned empty handed. “We the People” are no more fools. They are well aware of the “Blame Game Politics” of various political parties and regimes. People will judge the current Congress Party regime led by A Revanth Reddy to fulfill 6 guarantees within 100 days, particularly the Rythu Bharosa promise – Rs. 15,000.00 for farmers, Rs.12,000.00 for tenant farmers and farmers loan waivers. Be that as it may, holistically viewed, the interests of Telangana State and its people is likely to suffer should the I.N.D.I Alliance suffer electoral defeat in 2024 Lok Sabha elections.