BRS working president K T Rama Rao.
Credit: X/@KTRBRS
Hyderabad: Amid the ongoing debate between the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate and I.N.D.I.A. bloc's choice for vice presidential elections, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president K T Rama Rao said that his party has not received proposals from either candidate and will decide whom to support after discussing in the party.
"There's still time before the elections, and we'll discuss within the party before deciding whom to support," said KTR.
He also said that BRS will extend support only to the party that ensures supply of 2 lakh metric tonnes of urea before September 9.
“No alliance has approached us yet. But our decision will be taken solely in the interest of Telangana farmers. If the Congress CM nominates a candidate, we'll oppose without hesitation,” he said.
KTR also accused the Congress of hypocrisy on social justice, pointing out that despite claiming affection for Backward Classes, the party had not nominated a leader from that community for the vice-presidential post.
“If they were serious, they could have fielded intellectuals like Prof Kancha Ilaiah or any eminent BC leader,” he remarked.
The BRS working president slammed both Congress and BJP for failing Telangana. “With eight Congress MPs and eight BJP MPs, Telangana has gained nothing. 8+8 has only meant zero benefit for our State,” he said.
He criticised Rahul Gandhi for remaining silent on the fertilizer crisis despite his “Rythu Declaration” promises. “Rahul has not uttered a single word in Parliament while Telangana farmers are in distress. This exposes his double standards,” KTR said.
Revanth Reddy’s government, he added, had failed on every front—loan waiver, Rythu Bandhu, free power, procurement, bonus, crop insurance, and now fertilizer. “Over 600 farmers have already committed suicide under this regime. Revanth visited Delhi 51 times but could not bring even 51 bags of urea for Telangana,” he remarked.
KTR reiterated that BRS was not aligned with NDA or I.N.D.I.A. blocs. “We are an independent party. We have no bosses in Delhi. The people of Telangana are our only bosses,” he said.
Warning of an agitation if the crisis continues, KTR said BRS would soon announce a statewide protest programme from village to state level. “Farmers should not lose hope. BRS will fight until this crisis is resolved. We will not allow the Congress government to ruin Telangana’s farming progress,” he said.
He also launched a scathing attack on the Congress government, holding it responsible for the unprecedented urea crisis in Telangana. He described the shortage as an “artificial scarcity created by Congress misrule” and demanded immediate corrective measures.
KTR alleged that fertilizer stocks were being diverted and sold in the black market by Congress leaders, while lakhs of farmers were forced to queue up for hours across the State. “For the first time in Telangana’s history, women farmers are spending nights outside depots, farmers are leaving shoes and Aadhaar cards in queues to save their place, and in some cases even facing police cases for demanding fertilizer. This humiliation never happened in KCR’s 10-year rule,” he said.
The BRS leader demanded that the state government release a White Paper detailing the quantum of fertilizer supplied by the Centre, stock position in warehouses, actual distribution to farmers, and quantities diverted or missing. He also urged the Centre to order a comprehensive investigation and take strict action against those responsible.