Union Minister of Power and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal Khattar.
Credit: X/@mlkhattar
Hyderabad: BRS working president KT Rama Rao has alleged that funds from "corrupt practices" in Telangana by the Congress leaders are being funnelled into Maharashtra Assembly elections.
KTR, who was in Delhi to file a complaint about alleged large scale corruption in the central government's AMRUT projects in Telangana, on Tuesday urged strict oversight by the Election Commission.
He emphasised that the Election Commission should take direct control over monitoring the borders between Maharashtra and Telangana to prevent the misuse of Telangana's public funds for electoral influence across state lines.
According to KTR, such intervention is essential to halt the flow of Telangana's money into Maharashtra. KTR accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of deceiving the people of Maharashtra with unfulfilled promises, alleging the misuse of Telangana's state government funds, totalling Rs 300 crore, to spread misleading information in Maharashtra through advertisements.
He recalled that in the past, the central government flagged the use of funds from the Karnataka Valmiki scam during Telangana elections, yet no corrective measures were implemented. KTR insisted that it is now the responsibility of the Central Election Commission to ensure that Telangana’s money does not impact the Maharashtra elections, urging vigilance to maintain electoral integrity.
KTR, also said that Rs 300crore, which were supposed to be allocated for local development projects and promises made to the people of Telangana, are instead being diverted for campaign purposes through advertisments.
He argued that the government is using hundreds of crores to advertise the implementation of promises that have not been fulfilled in Telangana. KTR asserted that Rahul Gandhi is falsely claiming accomplishments in Telangana, stating that the Congress leader has implemented programs and fulfilled promises that were, in reality, left unaddressed.
For instance, KTR highlighted that Rahul Gandhi has been telling the people of Maharashtra that Congress delivered a Rs. 2,500 financial assistance to women, a claim that he stated is untrue. Furthermore, KTR pointed out that Congress has failed to meet many of the promises it made to the people of Telangana, including the long-promised farmer loan waiver, which remains incomplete despite public assertions to the contrary.
KTR urged the people of Maharashtra to critically examine these claims and enquire Telangana residents on the actual state of Congress’s guarantees. KTR called on Maharashtra voters to support regional parties rather than national parties like Congress and BJP, emphasizing that regional parties have been more effective in countering BJP in states like Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, while Congress, he argued, has proven unable to do so.
KTR urgedd Prime Minister Narendra Modi to respond to alleged corruption in Telangana’s AMRUT tender process. He highlighted that while the Prime Minister previously accused Telangana of being an “ATM” for Congress and for other state elections, it is critical that he addresses the local corruption as well.
KTR also said that, despite ongoing allegations, Modi has not taken any measures to curb the congress government’s coruption in the state of Telangana . He stressed that it’s not enough to make accusations about Rahul and Revanth Tax in Telangana without any action.
A delegation led by the KTR and BRS party MPs met the urban development minister Manohal Lal Khatter on Monday and submitted a representation for taking an enquiry and the cancellation of AMRUT tenders. “He requested time until the upcoming parliamentary sessions to gather information and initiate appropriate action. If the central government does not address the corruption in the Amrut tenders during the parliamentary session, we will bring this issue to the forefront in Parliament, particularly in the Rajya Sabha” KTR said.
KTR pointed to specific instances of alleged corruption within Telangana’s AMRUT tender process, valued at over Rs 8,888 crore. KTR claimed that details about the tenders are not being disclosed, even under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. According to KTR, tenders were awarded to Shoda Constructions, a company tied to the Chief Minister’s brother-in-law, Sudini Srujan Reddy, despite the company’s lack of necessary qualifications. He further alleged that Indian Hume Pipe Company, a qualified firm, was used as a front while the bulk of the work went to Shoda Construction, which has a limited annual profit.
KTR asserted that this is a prime example of crony capitalism, echoing statements made by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. He demanded that the central government cancel these AMRUT tenders immediately and alleged that the Chief Minister has also violated the Office of Profit Act, referencing Article 191 of the Constitution.
KTR warned that such violations could result in leaders like Revanth Reddy and Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy losing their positions in lines with Sonia Gandhi losing her post in UPA term in the past.