Compiled from reports by Deccan Chronicle and The Hans India. See the original articles linked below.
K.T. Rama Rao, the working president of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), launched a sharp attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and the Telangana government on Sunday, 25 October 2026. The Hans India reported that he spoke at a meeting at Telangana Bhavan, where a Congress leader named Jibran joined the BRS.
According to Deccan Chronicle, Rama Rao described Gandhi, who is the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, as one of the biggest liars and promise-makers in Indian politics. The newspaper reported that he said Gandhi had no moral right to talk about students' issues elsewhere while staying away from Telangana.
The 'ATM' allegation
Deccan Chronicle said Rama Rao alleged that Telangana had turned into an "ATM" for Gandhi under the government led by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, and that he described the chief minister as Gandhi's "ATM card". The Hans India likewise reported the "ATM" charge and said Rama Rao tied it to what he called looting and scams.
Poll promises
Both outlets reported that Rama Rao pointed to the promises made ahead of the 2023 Assembly election. Deccan Chronicle wrote that he spoke of 420 promises, among them six guarantees to be implemented within 100 days and 13 declarations. He said more than 1,000 days had passed and asked what had become of them. The Hans India reported that, in his account, the promises had been forgotten after Congress took power.
The Hans India also said Rama Rao called Gandhi a "missing leader" who travels across the country but avoids Telangana. According to the same report, he compared Gandhi to a character called Salim Pheku from the film Angrej, saying Gandhi was an even bigger deceiver.
Other remarks
Deccan Chronicle reported that Rama Rao also accused the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government at the Centre of dividing people, while saying the Congress government in the state was looting Telangana.
The Hans India added several further points from the speech. It said he mocked a claim about the chief minister's younger brother, saying that the brother had failed ninth grade but now runs an aerospace company that launches rockets. The newspaper also reported that Rama Rao alleged the chief minister's elder brother, who lives in the United States, was involved in deals worth a thousand crore rupees. In addition, it reported that he argued Congress no longer had the strength to take on the BJP, dismissed the BJP's "double-engine government" slogan as "jumla" and "hamla", and alleged that central agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate, the CBI and the Income Tax department were being used against opponents.
These statements are allegations made by a leader of an opposition party in the state. Neither Deccan Chronicle nor The Hans India, in the portions of their reports used here, carried a response from Gandhi or from the Telangana government.
Sources
- KTR Slams Rahul Over ‘420 Promises’ (Deccan Chronicle, 2026-10-25)
- KTR dubs Telangana ‘ATM’ for Rahul Gandhi (The Hans India, 2026-10-26)
This article was compiled with AI assistance from the reports listed above and reviewed by GMA before publishing.