‘Cong–BJP nexus exposed’

BRS Deputy Floor Leader in the Assembly T. Harish Rao has accused the Congress of colluding with the BJP, stating that their alleged alliance has now been “exposed” in Parliament during the debate on the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project. Reacting sharply to Union Jal Shakti Minister C. R. Patil’s remarks in the Rajya Sabha, Harish Rao termed the criticism of the project as politically motivated and an attempt by both parties to malign the previous BRS government.

He objected to claims that over Rs 1 lakh crore of public funds were wasted due to flawed planning and design, asserting that such statements were misleading and contradicted earlier assessments by central agencies and leaders. He said the remarks mirrored the language used by Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, reinforcing his allegation of a coordinated narrative between Congress and BJP.

Harish Rao defended the Kaleshwaram project as a transformative irrigation initiative, citing official data and reports to highlight its success. He pointed to the Central government’s own Economic Survey, which acknowledged a significant increase in cultivated land in Telangana, attributing it partly to the project. He also referred to statements by Union ministers and experts who had previously praised Kaleshwaram as an engineering feat and a model for the country.

Questioning the allegations of inefficiency, he asked how large volumes of water continue to be stored and utilized if the project had indeed “collapsed.” He cited the presence of substantial water reserves in Mallanna Sagar and ongoing irrigation across lakhs of acres as proof of its effectiveness.

On the state government, Harish Rao criticized the Congress for what he described as diversionary politics, alleging that issues like corruption charges against ministers were being sidelined. He also accused the government of failing to discuss key public issues in the Assembly and of suppressing opposition voices through suspensions.

Reiterating BRS’s commitment, he said the party would continue to raise people’s concerns both inside and outside the Assembly, and challenged Congress and BJP leaders to visit Telangana to witness the benefits of Kaleshwaram first hand.