Telangana's political landscape has become a battleground as the opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) seizes on Chief Minister Revanth Reddy's candid admissions regarding the state's financial woes.
The government is grappling with a staggering Rs 71,000 crore revenue shortfall, struggling to meet salary obligations, and has declared an inability to fund capital expenditures. Despite this, it plans to allocate a controversial Rs 200 crore for hosting a beauty pageant, drawing sharp criticism from the opposition.
The announcement of the budget prompted vociferous protests from opposition lawmakers who brandished dried crops in the Assembly to underscore claims of a "Congress-made drought."
They criticized the expenditure on the upcoming 72nd Miss World event and demanded that funds be redirected to provide Rs 25,000 per acre to farmers affected by drought.
BRS leader KT Rama Rao (KTR) vehemently condemned the Congress for what he termed as "perverse logic" in their financial decisions. "Spending Rs 46 crore on a Formula-E race in Hyderabad was deemed improper and led to legal action. Yet, Rs 200 crore for a beauty contest from public funds is justified? Can Rahul Gandhi explain this logic?" KTR tweeted last week.
KTR further criticized the Congress, questioning whether Telangana is progressing or regressing, noting the Chief Minister’s sudden acknowledgment of the state's economic downturn and significant deficit.
While KTR's comments were sharp, BRS spokesperson Krishank offered a nuanced position, highlighting the Congress' "double standards and hypocrisy," referencing the Formula-E corruption accusations against KTR himself.
The BRS has been vocally critical of the Congress's fiscal management and perceived negligence in state development under Reddy's leadership.
KTR accused Congress of depleting state resources through unrealistic pre-election promises and damaging the economy with shortsighted policies.
Chief Minister Reddy retaliated, accusing his predecessor K Chandrasekhar Rao of leaving the state in financial ruin, burdened with a public debt necessitating Rs 1.53 lakh crore in monthly interest payments.
"If this amount had been available, it would have enabled housing for all and farm loan waivers for an additional 70 lakh people," he stated.
Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Bhatti Vikramarka assured that efforts are underway to address these financial challenges, highlighting that Rs 10,000 crore in dues had already been cleared.
In an interesting turn, this year marks India's second consecutive hosting of the Miss World pageant; the 2024 edition in Mumbai crowned Czech Republic’s Krystyna Pyszkova as the winner.
This juxtaposition of fiscal austerity and extravagant expenditure underscores the complex political and economic discourse in Telangana.