<p>Union minister Nirmala Sitharaman hit out at Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao on Saturday, alleging that he stopped going to the state secretariat and did not induct women in his cabinet for a long time on the advice of "tantriks" and numerologists.</p>.<p>The senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader also claimed that Rao, popularly known as KCR, changed the name of his party on the advice of "tantriks" (occultists).</p>.<p><strong>Also Read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/national-politics/with-an-eye-on-lok-sabha-polls-k-chandrashekar-rao-floats-national-party-bharat-rashtra-samithi-1150851.html" target="_blank">With an eye on Lok Sabha polls, K Chandrashekar Rao floats national party Bharat Rashtra Samithi</a></strong></p>.<p>Earlier this week, Rao renamed his Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) as Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) as part of his national expansion plans ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.</p>.<p>"TRS was formed to realise Telangana's sentiment. Rao betrayed Telangana and changed TRS's name to Bharatiya Rashtra Samithi (BRS) on the advice of tantriks," Sitharaman said in a statement.</p>.<p>She added that when Telangana was formed, Rao talked about women empowerment, "but for four years, from 2014 to 2018, there was not a single woman minister in the TRS government".</p>.<p>Even after the TRS was re-elected to power in the southern state, there was no woman minister in the cabinet for almost a year, the Union finance minister said.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/south/trs-aka-brs-announces-candidate-to-take-on-bjps-komatireddy-in-munugodu-1151631.html" target="_blank">TRS aka BRS announces candidate to take on BJP's Komatireddy in Munugodu</a></strong></p>.<p>"KCR, on the advice of tantriks and numerologists, stopped going to the secretariat, did not induct women for many years in his cabinet and now, has changed his party's name," she said.</p>.<p>Under the rule of the TRS, Telangana has become a revenue-deficit state from a revenue-surplus one, Sitharaman said, adding that it has borrowings of Rs 3 lakh crore with the debt-to-GSDP ratio touching almost 25 per cent.</p>.<p>Talking about the Kaleswaram project, she said it was supposed to be completed with a budget of Rs 40,000 crore, which has "shot up to Rs 1.4 lakh crore without a proper explanation on reasons for escalation".</p>.<p>The TRS government has failed on all fronts, Sitharaman alleged.</p>
<p>Union minister Nirmala Sitharaman hit out at Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao on Saturday, alleging that he stopped going to the state secretariat and did not induct women in his cabinet for a long time on the advice of "tantriks" and numerologists.</p>.<p>The senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader also claimed that Rao, popularly known as KCR, changed the name of his party on the advice of "tantriks" (occultists).</p>.<p><strong>Also Read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/national-politics/with-an-eye-on-lok-sabha-polls-k-chandrashekar-rao-floats-national-party-bharat-rashtra-samithi-1150851.html" target="_blank">With an eye on Lok Sabha polls, K Chandrashekar Rao floats national party Bharat Rashtra Samithi</a></strong></p>.<p>Earlier this week, Rao renamed his Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) as Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) as part of his national expansion plans ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.</p>.<p>"TRS was formed to realise Telangana's sentiment. Rao betrayed Telangana and changed TRS's name to Bharatiya Rashtra Samithi (BRS) on the advice of tantriks," Sitharaman said in a statement.</p>.<p>She added that when Telangana was formed, Rao talked about women empowerment, "but for four years, from 2014 to 2018, there was not a single woman minister in the TRS government".</p>.<p>Even after the TRS was re-elected to power in the southern state, there was no woman minister in the cabinet for almost a year, the Union finance minister said.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/south/trs-aka-brs-announces-candidate-to-take-on-bjps-komatireddy-in-munugodu-1151631.html" target="_blank">TRS aka BRS announces candidate to take on BJP's Komatireddy in Munugodu</a></strong></p>.<p>"KCR, on the advice of tantriks and numerologists, stopped going to the secretariat, did not induct women for many years in his cabinet and now, has changed his party's name," she said.</p>.<p>Under the rule of the TRS, Telangana has become a revenue-deficit state from a revenue-surplus one, Sitharaman said, adding that it has borrowings of Rs 3 lakh crore with the debt-to-GSDP ratio touching almost 25 per cent.</p>.<p>Talking about the Kaleswaram project, she said it was supposed to be completed with a budget of Rs 40,000 crore, which has "shot up to Rs 1.4 lakh crore without a proper explanation on reasons for escalation".</p>.<p>The TRS government has failed on all fronts, Sitharaman alleged.</p>