Hyderabad:

Hitting out at the BRS over its “loot” while in power, Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Saturday asked if the opposition party is ready for a probe into alleged corruption in the implementation of Bathukamma sarees distribution, KCR kits and other schemes during its regime.

Revanth Reddy, who spoke in the Legislative Assembly during the debate on the state budget for 2024-25, also said Metro rail would be expanded to the old city of Hyderabad in the next four years.

Responding to BRS member and former minister T Harish Rao, Revanth Reddy alleged that a toll collection contract of Hyderabad’s Outer Ring Road (ORR) was given away for just over Rs 7,000 crore which was worth higher many times.

On the alleged scam in the sheep distribution scheme during the BRS regime, he said about Rs 700 crore irregularities have been found by ACB even before going deep into it. The ED is also involved in the issue, he said.

Though the Bathukamma festival is sentimental for state’s women, the women were let down in the scheme of distribution of free sarees for the festival. The women burnt the sarees in view of their inferior quality, he said.

“Bathukamma is a sentiment for women in Telangana. That sentiment was also used for loot,” he said.

Recalling that BRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao had represented Mahabubnagar in Lok Sabha, Revanth Reddy asked whether the former Chief Minister was not supposed to complete the projects in Mahabubnagar district when he is the first Chief Minister of Telangana.

“If they have run the administration very honestly, I am asking. Bathukamma sarees, KCR Kits, Sheep distribution. You are claiming them to be great schemes. Are you ready for probe? I am asking them to answer,” he said.

Revanth Reddy also said Harish Rao is not speaking the truth when he said the previous BRS regime fought with the Centre and did not accept the suggestion to install meters to agriculture pump sets (to benefit the farmers).

Revanth Reddy said the BRS government had signed a tripartite agreement in 2017 with the state power distribution companies and the Centre.

The BRS regime had agreed to install meters to power distribution transformers and also for installing meters to domestic consumers who consume 500 units and 200 units, he said.

Harish Rao said he will respond on the issue after going through the documents concerned, adding that the BRS government did not instal metres to burden any farmer in the state.

Harish Rao also said it is not correct to say that the ORR contract was given away and that the government would get it back.

Responding to CM Revanth Reddy’s comments that the previous BRS government entered into a tripartite agreement with the state power discoms and the Centre, Harish Rao on Saturday night recalled KCR’s comments that the BRS regime did not agree to install meters to agri pumpsets though the Centre was ready to provide a loan of Rs 30,000 crore.

Revanth Reddy asked whether he stated that meters would be installed to agricultural pumpsets. He also asked whether installing meters to distribution transformers does not cover agriculture connections.

The BRS government handed over the state energy department to the Centre by signing the pact, he charged.

Now, the state government is faced with a situation of installing smart meters to consumers as per the agreement and the BRS should apologise to people, he said.

Responding to AIMIM floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi’s comments that the Metro rail network has not been expanded to the old city of Hyderabad, Revanth Reddy said the state government has submitted a representation to the Centre on Metro expansion.

“We gave representation to Centre on the 78 km, phase-2 (of Metro rail). We gave project report. The doubt of our friend is who is going to build. Where will the money come from? That’s why, JV model between the Central and state government. The agency is going to take up this work. Joint venture between Govt of India and state government,” he said.

The share of the Centre proposed is 15 per cent and state government’s share is 35 per cent, while 45 per cent would be a loan. Five per cent share would be the PPP model, he said.

Assuring Akbaruddin Owaisi not to have any worries about the expansion of the Metro rail to the old city, he said he will come to Chandrayangutta (Akbaruddin’s Assembly segment) in Metro rail to seek votes in the next polls.

On Akbaruddin Owaisi’s comments that a case registered against Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the city during the recent Lok Sabha poll campaign over the presence of children during campaign was withdrawn though a case against him (Akbaruddin) is continuing, Revanth Reddy said the government would obtain details on the matter.

He, however, said it was the Congress which had complained to election authorities on the issue of poll campaign attended by Shah.

Revanth Reddy said police filed the charge sheet against the organisers of the campaign event and withdrew the names of Shah and also Union Minister Kishan Reddy from the FIR.

However, Congress has gone to court contending that the case should continue against Shah and Kishan Reddy, he said.

On the occasion, the CM reiterated that the Centre should not discriminate against any state.

Revanth Reddy did not attend the NITI Aayog meeting in Delhi on Saturday in protest against the Centre allegedly hurting the state’s rights.

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

Hyderabad:

Six BRS MLCs joined Congress late last night in the presence of Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, dealing a significant blow to the K. Chandrasekhar Rao-led party.

The Bharat Rashtra Samithi continues to suffer from desertions, with several leaders, including six MLAs, leaving the party after its defeat in the assembly polls last year.

BRS MP Keshava Rao tendered resignation after joining the Congress party. Welcome his decision

What about the BRS MLA who defected and contested Loksabha on Congress ticket?

What about half a dozen other BRS MLAs who defected to congress?@RahulGandhi is this how you are… pic.twitter.com/6NEN71J5GA

— KTR (@KTRBRS) July 4, 2024

According to the Telangana Legislative Council website, currently BRS has 25 members and Congress has four. There are four nominated MLCs, two members from AIMIM, one each from BJP, PRTU, and one independent MLC, while two seats are vacant in the 40-member house.

The MLCs joined the Congress soon after Revanth Reddy returned from a two-day trip to the national capital Thursday night.

With the fresh defections, Congress’s strength is set to go up to 10 in the legislative council. 

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

Making a stunning claim, Bharat Rashtra Samithi chief and former Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao has said a group of regional parties could form a government and the NDA or INDIA alliances may end up having to support them, instead of the other way around. 

In an expansive interview with NDTV on Friday, Mr Rao, or KCR as he is popularly known, also spoke about how his party is far from finished and will get seats in the double digits out of the 17 constituencies in Telangana. He also answered questions about the BJP’s prospects, the “failure” of the Congress government in the state, and the arrest of his daughter K Kavitha in the alleged Delhi liquor policy scam.

Addressing a rally for sitting MP and one of the candidates in the Lok Sabha polls, Nama Nageswara Rao, the BRS chief had said Mr Nageswara Rao could end up being a Union minister. 

When he was asked about this and whether he would support the NDA or the INDIA bloc, KCR said, “I will tell you a surprising thing which you may not believe. This time, something new is going to happen in the country. All the regional parties are very strong now. They will emerge as a force. It’s not the regional parties supporting NDA or INDIA. It’s nothing like that. Either of them will have to support the regional parties’ group. It will be a reverse thing. You will see it.”

Mr Rao’s party had won nine out of the 17 Lok Sabha seats in Telangana in 2019 and he was the chief minister of the state for nearly a decade since its formation in 2014. But, since the Congress’ big victory in the Assembly elections last year – it won 64 of the state’s 119 seats, securing a majority on its own – there has been talk of the BRS’ star being on the wane, which has been reinforced by several leaders deserting the party.

To a poser on this, Mr Rao said the Congress has not fulfilled the promises it had made in the six months it has been in power and people are angry with the Revanth Reddy government. 

“The only promise they have delivered is free bus (tickets) for the woman. Even that has become a big joke. Women are fighting in the buses and auto drivers are (protesting) on the roads. That’s the reason people are very angry. The farming community, which got a lot of confidence during my regime, is also very angry. And I think the reflection will be seen in the Lok Sabha elections,” he said, adding that his party will get seats in the double digits, going up to 12.

On whether he thought people defeated his government because they were angry with him and believed the parties who said he was inaccessible, Mr Rao replied in the negative and said that people had got stable supply of power, drinking water and water for irrigation under his government and had been “tempted” by the Congress’ promises. 

“They made very, very attractive promises. The (vote share) margin between the Congress and BRS was 1.8%. We won about one-third seats of the state Assembly, which is not a small thing. It was not a rout… It was a small thing where the people, out of temptation and because they believed that Congress may deliver more than KCR… we were defeated. Now everyone has realised the Congress has failed to deliver and has cheated them,” he claimed. 

‘Sunflowers’ In Politics

Many candidates from the BJP and the Congress for the Lok Sabha polls were with the BRS earlier, and Mr Rao had a quip reserved for them: “Only a handful of people went out of the party… In politics, it is common that whenever power shifts, there are a certain number of sunflowers in each party… they will turn towards the sun and leave the party.”

The BJP had won 4 seats in Telangana in the 2019 general elections and the party has claimed that it will enter the double digits in the state this time. When he was asked to comment on this, Mr Rao said, “The BJP is running a Goebbels campaign. The BJP will get only one or none in Telangana in these Lok Sabha elections.”

The former chief minister asserted that the BJP, which had won only 29 seats out of 130 (including Puducherry) in south India in 2019, would not win more than 10 this time, and that the NDA would be reduced to just 226 seats nationally. 

“The Prime Minister has lost his charisma. People have realised it. The value of the Rupee has gone down to its lowest level and there is a capital drain from India now. Farmers are angry, many others are angry,” he claimed. 

K Kavitha Arrest

On the arrest of his daughter and BRS leader K Kavitha by the Enforcement Directorate in the Delhi liquor policy scam on March 15, Mr Rao said the BJP had done that because he had taken action against people who were trying to topple his government in Telangana.

Referring to a case filed against BJP National General Secretary BL Santhosh for allegedly poaching BRS MLAs, he said, “I was the first chief Minister in India who vehemently opposed Mr Modi and many of his policies… I sent my police forces to the central office of the BJP in Delhi to catch BL Santhosh. That angered the BJP. That’s why they arrested Kavitha in a false case.”

“Ultimately, we believe in the judiciary. Today, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal got bail, I think my daughter will also get bail. The Delhi liquor policy scam is not a scam. Every state has a liquor policy… not a single rupee was recovered… they are playing a drama with my daughter and also Arvind Kejriwal,” he asserted. 

Revanth Reddy In BJP?

Asked about his son and former minister KT Rama Rao’s statement that Congress leader and Telangana chief minister Revanth Reddy would switch to the BJP, KCR said this was evident in how he had called Prime Minister Narendra Modi his big brother at an event in the state. 

“He had said we need your (PM Modi’s) support going forward as well. What does it mean? He is accepting that Rahul Gandhi will not become Prime Minister. Revanth Reddy is in trouble, he is facing the (2015) vote-for-note case and I think that is coming to an end in June or July. Even people from the Congress are thinking he may jump to the BJP,” he said.

Mr Rao denied allegations of involvement in the phone-tapping scandal that has rocked the state and said it was completely in the police’s domain. He also called the allegations of corruption in the Kaleshwaram lift irrigation project “senseless” and termed it a “marvel”.

On the PM saying that reservation to Muslims based on religion is not allowed under the Constitution, Mr Rao said, “Whether the Constitution allows it is an academic subject. But as far as I’m concerned, whether it is a Muslim or Hindu or whatever, people who did not get their share, people who are still poor, who deserve reservation, must get reservation. It’s not a fair thing on the part of the Government of India… and the Prime Minister talking about it.. it looks very silly. It’s not correct.”

Hyderabad:

Taunting the BJP over its promise to make a backward caste candidate as Chief Minister of Telangana, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday wondered how the it could do so when it was going to garner only a meagre percentage of votes.

Mr Gandhi, who addressed public meetings at Kalwakurthy, Jadcherla and Shadnagar in Telangana, said BJP leaders used to brag about their chances in the state. However, the Congress had “punctured” the four tyres of BJP’s vehicle in Telangana.

“You will get two per cent votes here and how can you make a chief minister?” he asked.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah had recently announced in a poll rally regarding making a backward class leader as Chief Minister if the BJP came to power in Telangana after the November 30 assembly polls.

Mr Gandhi further took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the PM would go to the US and announce that he will make an OBC candidate President of America.

“You will neither be able to make a President in America nor a Chief Minister here (Telangana),” he said.

Targetting the AIMIM, Mr Gandhi alleged that the Asaduddin Owaisi-led party fields candidates wherever the Congress fights the BJP by taking money from the saffron party.

“Wherever we go to fight the elections… Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Tripura, wherever Congress party fights with BJP, MIM party takes money from BJP and puts up candidates there,” he claimed.

Just as it has “punctured the tyres of BJP” in Telangana, the Congress will do so in the whole of India.

“First, we have to win in Telangana. We will win in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chattisgarh, and later in 2024, we will win Delhi (Lok Sabha),” he said.

He reiterated his allegation that “BJP, BRS and AIMIM are one”. “These three are working together.” “… if there is no tacit understanding between BJP and BRS, why is there not even a single case against your Chief Minister?” he asked.

He recalled that the BRS had supported the BJP in Parliament on the three farm laws.

The Congress leader promised to conduct a caste census if his party was voted to power in Telangana.

A caste census would also be conducted in the country if the Congress comes to power after the Lok Sabha elections held next year, he added.

Mr Gandhi, who alleged that the Chief Minister “swindled” Rs one lakh crore in Kaleswaram project, displayed a mock ‘Kaleswaram ATM’ made by his party to the people at Shadnagar.

Referring to reports of some ‘piers’ of Medigadda barrage of Kaleswaram project ‘sinking’, he said KCR should inspect the site.

Alleging that RSS-BJP spread hate in the country, he claimed that a ‘mohabbat ki dukan’ should be opened. He likened the 24 cases filed against him to medals given to the personnel in the Army.

“I wake up in the morning and if there is no attack on me by BJP or if they don’t speak ill of me, I don’t have fun,” he quipped.

“I have shaken them (rivals) so much that they talk about me 24-hours. Narendra Modi ji and KCR sleep in the night and suddenly they see me in their dreams,” he said.

He also highlighted the Congress’s poll promises, including Rs 2,500 for women every month under ‘Mahalakshmi’ scheme, provision of LPG cylinder for Rs 500, free bus travel for women.

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

Miryalaguda:

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Tuesday blamed the Congress party for the knife attack on BRS candidate K Prabhakar Reddy in Siddipet district.

Prabhakar Reddy, the party’s candidate from Dubbak segment was stabbed with a knife allegedly by a 38-year-old man in Siddipet district on Monday while he was campaigning for the November 30 Assembly elections.

“Yesterday, Congress durmargulu (wicked fellows) attacked our party candidate with knives. By God’s grace he is alive. We could save his life by taking him to hospital and treating him in an emergency,” Rao said at an election rally here.

Reddy, who is an MP from Medak Lok Sabha constituency, suffered injuries to his stomach and was shifted to Yashoda Hospital in Hyderabad where doctors carried out a surgery on him. He is said to be stable.

Except for doing good to people, his party or the government has not harmed anyone in the last ten years, KCR further said.

Speaking about the law and order situation in the state, KCR said Telangana has been progressing without any law and order problems such as curfews during the past ten years.

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

Kodad, Telangana:

Hitting out at the Congress party for never having protected the interests of Telangana when some of the irrigation projects were constructed during their tenures (in undivided Andhra Pradesh), BRS supremo K Chandrashekar Rao on Sunday said his party will protect the state like the armour of Karna.

Speaking at a rally here in the run-up to the November 30 Assembly elections, the Telangana Chief Minister KCR, seeking votes for his party’s candidate, said the state has been progressing and became number one in several parameters such as per capita income and power.

Taking a dig at Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, KCR said he is talking in Telangana about Siddaramaiah-led government’s five hours of free power to farmers where BRS government offers 24 hours free power to peasants.

“BRS protects Telangana like the legendary Karna’s Kavach (from the Mahabharat). BRS was born for Telangana state, its development and to protect Telangana people and their rights,” he said.

“Congress leaders never thought of irrigation projects that would benefit Telangana people,” KCR hit out, referring to the Nagarjuna Sagar irrigation project.

Narrating the promises in the BRS manifesto, KCR said amounts for social pensions and Rythu Bandhu will be increased in a phased manner.

KCR said Telangana which used to witness drought and migrations, has been witnessing development owing to peace and tranquility.

“Telangana is number one in per capita income and per capita power consumption. Earlier the per capita power consumption now doubled to 2200 units from the earlier 1100 units,” he added.

Without naming the Congress, he alleged the Muslims and Dalits were treated as vote-banks earlier. 

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

Etala Rajender
| Photo Credit: K.V.S. Giri

Youngsters who were involved in Left-student politics full-time for many years rarely end up on the other side of the political ideology spectrum. Even if they do, they do not figure in the higher echelons of the right-wing political parties.

Etala Rajender, who is now making waves for taking on the mighty Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao is one such politician who has traversed from one end of the political spectrum to the other with elan. In between, he also dabbled with business before joining the separate Statehood movement with the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS).

The sitting BJP MLA from the Huzurabad constituency in Karimnagar district of Telangana fell out with his mentor in politics KCR, and is now challenging the lion in his own den in Gajwel, where he is contesting as a BJP candidate catching the attention of all. He hails from the Mudiraj community, which is one of the numerically biggest among the classes in Telangana.

Mr. Rajender entered student politics in the mid-80s attracted by Left-wing politics like thousands of other youngsters during that period. He was an active member of the Progressive Democratic Students Union (PDSU), founded by the charismatic George Reddy, which had a huge sway among students in the 1970s and 80s, linking up social issues to student politics.

Mr. Rajender’s leadership role came into light when he defeated the ABVP candidate contesting as general secretary of the Students Union elections as an undergraduate student in the Osmania University College of Science, Saifabad, Hyderabad. He aligned with the PDSU faction that was close to Chandra Pulla Reddy, founder of the CPI (Marxist-Leninist).

He continued his tryst with the organisation as a full-time worker even after college and during this period he met his future wife Jamuna, who too was part of PDSU. After marriage, he ventured into the poultry and hatchery business, emerging as one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the field.

However, the leftist in him drew him to the Telangana statehood agitation when Mr. Rao founded the TRS. In the very first election that the TRS contested in 2004, he won from Kamalapur (which is now Huzurabad) constituency and served as the leader of the TRS in the Assembly. He emerged as the number two in the party and was made a Minister in the first TRS government in 2014 after Telangana was formed.

By the time he was re-elected in 2018 from TRS, there were reports of fissures with Mr. Rao. One of his famous comments, ‘We are also the owners of the pink flag (TRS party flag)’ reflected the growing differences between Mr. Rao and him.

In an unexpected move, Mr. Rao dropped him from the Cabinet in 2021, charging him with corruption and land grabbing. After resigning from the TRS, he won the ‘high-voltage and high-stake’ bypoll defeating the TRS candidate. It increased his stature in the BJP that made him the Campaign Committee Chairman in Telangana.

Now, the BJP has fielded him against Mr. Rao in Gajwel, grabbing eyeballs.

Hyderabad:

Weeks before Telangana votes, the Congress has hit out at Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, claiming that he does not have the guts to face an election without using cash or alcohol to lure voters.

Dramatic scenes played out at Telangana Martyrs Memorial yesterday, when state Congress chief Revanth Reddy was detained after he dared the Chief Minister to come to the memorial and join him in taking a vow that their parties won’t use cash or liquor in the polls.

Mr Reddy threw the challenge at KCR, also the chief of the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi, after its leaders alleged that the Congress was distributing cash, liquor and other gifts among voters.

The state Congress chief and his supporters reached the memorial at noon yesterday. As he tried to enter, police took him under preventive custody. He was released shortly after.

In a tweet, Mr Reddy said KCR does not have the guts to seek votes without distributing money or liquor.

Earlier, BRS working president and KCR’s son K T Rama Rao and the Chief Minister’s nephew T Harish Rao had alleged that the Karnataka Congress was sponsoring the party’s Telangana campaign and sending Rs 1,500 crore to ensure a victory in Telangana.

The allegations and counter allegations come amid massive seizures of unaccounted cash and liquor ahead of the election. In just eight days since the model code of conduct came into force, recovery worth Rs 130 crores have been made. Contrast this to the total recovery of 103 crores in the run-up to the 2018 polls.

Over Rs 71 crore in cash, liquor worth Rs 7.75 crore, ganja worth Rs 4.58 crore, jewellery worth over Rs 40 crore and other freebies like laptops, cookers, sarees, sewing machines worth Rs 6.29 crore have been recovered so far, the Election Commission has said.

Siddipet, Telangana:

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, on Sunday hit out at the Congress party for asking voters to give them one “chance” in the November 3 assembly elections saying that the party was given 10 to 12 “chances” but they did not do anything for the state.

“The people who were asking for one chance were given 10 to 12 chances, but they didn’t do anything,” the Chief Minister said.

Chandrashekar Rao, popularly known as KCR in his state, kickstarted his poll campaign from Husnabad town in Siddipet district on Sunday.

The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) which released its first list of 115 candidates on August 21, also released its manifesto on Sunday.

“Elections come and go. We need to identify what is good for us. Vote changes our future, our state’s future. It is important that we decide on our own. Do not listen to others but decide for yourself,” the BRS chief said warning people from his state against the Congress.

In a veiled reference to the Congress, KCR said, “Some parties are asking to give them one chance. Why one chance? You ruled for 60 years from here to Delhi.”

Continuing his attack against the Congress party, the Telangana Chief Minister said, “It is shameful that Dalits are still living in poverty even after 75 years of independence. If the Dalit Bandhu-like scheme had started 75 years ago would there be poverty? Think about it.”

The Dalit Bandhu scheme run by the KCR government provided a direct benefit transfer of Rs 10 lakh per family to those ‘Dalits’ who do not have a bank guarantee which is required to set up a business.

KCR is eyeing his third term as the Chief Minister after the elections next month. Telangana is expected to see a three-way poll battle between the BRS, the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party.

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

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.)