Hyderabad:

 Another MLA of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) on Friday joined the Congress, taking to eight the number of BRS MLAs who defected to the ruling party since the Assembly elections the previous year.

Prakash Goud, the MLA from Rajendranagar constituency in Greater Hyderabad, joined the Congress in the presence of Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy at the latter’s residence on Friday night.

His followers also joined the ruling party. Revenue Minister P. Srinivas Reddy, MLC Mahender Reddy and others were present.

Earlier, Mr Goud had announced after a visit to Tirumala temple in Andhra Pradesh that he had decided to join the Congress. He is the eighth BRS MLA to switch loyalties since Congress came to power in the state in December 2023.

Mr Goud, along with fellow BRS MLA Arekapudi Gandhi, had met Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu during his visit to Hyderabad last week.

As Mr Naidu is planning to revive the TDP in Telangana, this meeting had sparked speculations that they will defect to the TDP.

However, both the MLAs denied any such plans.

Mr Goud on Friday said Chandrababu Naidu was his political guru and that he was happy that Naidu has become Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister once again.

Mr Goud had called on Revanth Reddy early this year amid reports that he was planning to join Congress. However, his joining was delayed due to some reasons.

Elected from Rajendranagar constituency on a TDP ticket in 2009, Mr Goud was re-elected in 2014 but later joined the TRS (now BRS). In the Assembly elections held in November 2023, he was elected from the constituency on a BRS ticket for a fourth consecutive term.

With the latest defection, the BRS tally in the 119-member Assembly has come down to 30. It had bagged 39 seats in the election but lost the Secunderabad Cantonment seat to Congress in the by-election held in May.

The tally of the Congress has gone up to 73.

The BRS also lost six MLCs and several senior leaders to Congress during the last seven months.

Meanwhile, D. Nagender, one of the BRS MLAs who joined the Congress before the Lok Sabha elections, has claimed that the BRS Legislature Party will soon merge with the Congress Legislature Party. The former minister said that only four MLAs, including BRS President K. Chandrasekhar Rao, his son K.T. Rama Rao and nephew Harish Rao will remain in the BRS.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

BRS MLC and former MP Kalvakuntla Kavitha

Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader and MLC Kalvakuntla Kavitha was invited by Oxford University in London to present a keynote lecture at the university on the Telangana government’s schemes

The BRS MLC will highlight the progress achieved in the fields of healthcare and education during her address at the University on October 30.

“Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao led Telangana Government’s programs have gained international recognition. The renowned Oxford University in London, known for its global prominence, has acknowledged Telangana’s rapid progress in India. This recognition comes as a result of the various initiatives undertaken by the state government,” as per a press note.

During her recent visit to London as part of the Bridge India initiative, she informed students from different colleges about the strides made in Telangana’s development. They were apprised of the measures taken in the agricultural sector, including the provision of Rythu Bandhu (investment support) to farmers, 24-hour free electricity supply, and the efforts to recharge the rural economy through various schemes.

BRS MLC K. Kavitha participating in Bathukamma festivities at Solapur, in Maharashtra, on Sunday.

hyderabad

Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLC K. Kavitha visited Solapur in Maharashtra on Sunday and participated in Bathukamma festival organised by the people from Telangana living there. She interacted with workers in the textile and beedi rolling industries.

She arranged Bathukamma at the residence of BRS leader Nagesh Walyal and also at Dasharath Gope’s home.

After participating in Bathukamma rally from Datta Mandir, she participated in the celebrations at Punjal Maidan.

Earlier, speaking to mediapersons, she said opinion polls during the elections were conducted in different methods and there is no need to give weightage to those conducting such polls while sitting in the television studios. Only the poll of farmers and women are important and such polls have already indicated that BRS is set to win the election with a huge majority for the third time in a row.

She explained that the BRS government had empowered farmers, women, youth, SC, ST and OBC communities with various interventions during the last nine years and the party is confident that the good work put in by its government would ensure a win for it again. The Congress party had copied its schemes and announced six guarantees with some changes here and there but there is nobody to guarantee those promises, after Karnataka’s recent experience, she said.

On Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), she said the party candidates’ deposits were forfeited in 105 constituencies during the 2018 Assembly elections and the number would be higher this time.

Hyderabad:

Raising social security pension amounts, increasing financial assistance given under the ‘Rythu Bandhu’ investment support scheme for farmers, and providing LPG cylinders at Rs 400 each are some of the promises made by the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) for the upcoming assembly elections in Telangana.

Releasing the party manifesto for the November 30 assembly polls, BRS chief and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao said all 93 lakh families living below the poverty line (BPL) in the state would be provided life insurance cover of Rs five lakh and that the government would bear the cost of the premium.

Mr Rao, also known as KCR, said the social security pension, which currently stands at Rs 2,016, will be increased to Rs 5,000 per month gradually over the next five years.

According to the manifesto, It will be increased to Rs 3,016 in the first year after the BRS returns to power, and then be raised incrementally up to Rs 5,000 in the next four years.

Similarly, pension for Divyang people (persons with disabilities) will be enhanced to Rs 6,016 in the coming five years, from the existing Rs 4016.

Under the ‘Rythu Bandhu’ scheme in which farmers get Rs 10,000 per annum per acre, the payments will be enhanced gradually to Rs 16,000 per annum in the next five years.

“The BRS after coming to power will give each gas cylinder at Rs 400 to ‘eligible beneficiaries’ and the remaining cost will be borne by the state government,” it said.

The BRS manifesto also promises Rs 15 lakh health insurance coverage to all eligible beneficiaries under the ‘Arogya Sri’ health scheme, increasing it from the present Rs five lakh.

Mr Rao, who expressed confidence that his party would return to power, said the promises announced by the BRS would be implemented within six to seven months after forming the government.

Before releasing the manifesto, the CM said his government implemented 90 per cent of the welfare schemes though they were not mentioned in the manifesto for the previous elections.

Speaking further about the BRS’s plans if it returns to power, he said all residential junior colleges will be converted into residential degree colleges.

Watch Live: BRS Party President, CM Sri KCR speaking after releasing the party manifesto. #KCROnceAgain#VoteForCarhttps://t.co/XRJVLM72C0

— BRS Party (@BRSparty) October 15, 2023

Highlighting the development that the state has undergone under the BRS, Mr Rao stated that Telangana has become the number one in per capita income and power consumption, among other aspects. He promised to continue the government’s policies with regard to power and agriculture and said that, if required, stimulus would be given. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

London:

Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader Kalvakuntla Kavitha said the Women’s Reservation Bill will inspire many women around the world to come forward in public life and called on women across continents to mobilise around the issue.

During an interaction organised by the think tank Bridge India in London on Friday night, the BRS Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) addressed a diaspora audience at Central Hall Westminster near the Houses of Parliament on the topic of ‘Gender Equality in India’s Political Representation’.

The daughter of Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao, who was virtually mobbed by the cheering diaspora crowds, highlighted the progress made in her own state that is leading the way in the representation of women in politics.

“We are the world’s most populous nation, and we are about 70 crore women; if a very positive change were to happen to the women of our nation, I believe the world should know because that will inspire many, many, many more women to come forward in public life, to become active participants in policy making,” Kavitha told PTI with reference to her London tour.

The Women’s Reservation Bill, which seeks to provide 33 per cent reservation to women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, received the Parliamentary nod on September 21. President Droupadi Murmu gave her assent to the bill on September 28.

“This bill, I’m very confident, will enable that to happen to the women of our nation, India, and India’s progress will see more and more participation of women, that is the hope,” the 45-year-old politician said.

Asked about stronger representation of women within political parties in the country, she admitted that parties have traditionally been slow in addressing the matter satisfactorily.

“I would say India is a much younger democracy, which is 75 years old. There are many democracies across the globe which are 200 years old or more who have still not been able to reach the extent and level of women participation that we have reached today,” she said.

“But that being said, the parties have to take the onus on themselves to make sure more and more women come in. And obviously, it’s not happening, so it is for the Election Commission to step in. It is for more laws to be put in place to protect the places for women,” she noted.

During her charged address that drew applause and cheers from the crowd, Kavitha said it “pained” her to state that inequality in public life is a reality around the world. She traced the journey of the Women’s Reservation Bill that she had been campaigning for and was passed in the Lok Sabha last month – from former prime minister Deve Gowda in 1996 to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2023.

“I sincerely thank all of them from the bottom of my heart for making this bill a reality. This is not just politics, but this is the respect these people have shown to the women of this great nation,” she said.

She added, “When I say Women’s Reservation Bill, it is not only to make 181 women members of Parliament, but it is about billions and billions of women. When we talk about women, countries don’t matter, there are no borders.” “Across the globe, I don’t know how men managed to subjugate us for centuries. Now, the time has come that women across continents should connect, and should take up these issues. Today, if India has this bill and some other country does not, I think it is the duty of Indian women to go help our sisters there,” she said.

During some light-hearted moments in her hard-hitting speech, she acknowledged her very “strong opinions” and cautioned men to get used to hearing many more strong opinions from “our sisters”.

She also referenced the Koh-i-Noor diamond, which has a connection to Telangana, given its roots in the Golconda mines. The MLC said while the discussion over the return of the infamous diamond to India will “go on forever”, “at least give us back Vijay Mallya” – referencing the former Kingfisher Airlines chief based in the UK and wanted in India on fraud and money laundering charges.

Earlier on Friday, Kavitha commenced her tour to the UK with a visit to the Ambedkar Museum in north London and spoke of how she drew great inspiration from the principles of the architect of the Indian Constitution in her fight for gender equality.

MLC Kavitha’s itinerary in the UK includes engagements with Indian diaspora groups, discussions on collaborative initiatives and participation in events to foster cultural exchange between the two countries. 

New Delhi:

A day after All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi dared Rahul Gandhi to contest from Hyderabad in 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Union Minister Anurag Thakur on Monday said that the Congress leader “should accept the challenge”.

“The challenge should be accepted. This is a matter between two people. One is giving the challenge and the other should accept it,” the senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader told reporters.

#WATCH | Delhi: “The challenge should be accepted. This is a matter between two people, one is giving the challenge and the other has to accept it,” says Union Minister Anurag Thakur on Asaduddin Owaisi’s challenge to Rahul Gandhi to contest elections from Hyderabad pic.twitter.com/6RA8S8twiW

— ANI (@ANI) September 25, 2023

Mr Owaisi on Sunday challenged Mr Gandhi to contest from Hyderabad and not Wayanad in Kerala in next year’s Lok Sabha elections.

“I tell your leader to contest from Hyderabad this time, not Wayanad. I challenge you to come to Hyderabad, why Wayanad?” he said.

The AIMIM chief, who is a four-time MP from Hyderabad, also cited the demolition of Babri masjid during the Congress regime, and said that a mosque which got demolished in the Secretariat in Hyderabad was rebuilt, but not Babri masjid.

The Congress and AIMIM are at loggerheads in Telangana as both parties are trying to win the upcoming state’s Assembly elections, which are expected to be held later this year.  

Earlier this month, Rahul Gandhi had said that the BJP, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao’s Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), and AIMIM are working in unison in the state.

While addressing a rally in Telangana’s Tukkuguda, he also said that while opposition leaders were being attacked by government agencies there were no cases against Mr Rao and AIMIM leaders because Prime Minister Narendra Modi considers them his own.

“All corruption records have been broken but there is no case,” Mr Gandhi said as he attacked BRS.

He claimed that whenever the BJP needed its help, the BRS supported them.