2024 Year in Review: Controversies Take Center Stage in Telangana

Hyderabad, Dec 31 (NationPress) Controversies were at the forefront in Telangana throughout 2024, from phone-tapping allegations to the demolition of actor Nagarjuna’s convention centre. The year also witnessed a Telangana minister making offensive comments regarding the divorce of Naga Chaitanya and Samantha Ruth Prabhu, as well as the arrest of actor Allu Arjun related to a stampede at a theatre.

The newly formed Congress government struggled to fulfill its electoral commitments, while the Opposition criticized its performance. The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) faced challenges after a disappointing Lok Sabha election result and the defection of ten MLAs.

Key events included the Enforcement Directorate arresting BRS leader K. Kavitha in connection with the Delhi excise policy case and the apprehension of police officials for alleged phone tapping during the BRS administration.

Despite being newly elected, the Congress government began its work promptly. However, the BRS and BJP criticized it for not fulfilling its six guarantees, citing the Model Code of Conduct in effect since March.

After losing power the previous year, the BRS faced humiliation, failing to secure any Lok Sabha seats. Both the Congress and BJP achieved victories in eight constituencies each, with AIMIM retaining its hold in Hyderabad.

The BJP made significant gains, doubling its presence from 2019 and finishing as runner-up in six additional constituencies, marking its best performance in Telangana. The party's vote share soared from 19.5% in 2019 to 35.08% in the Lok Sabha elections.

Meanwhile, the Congress could only match its previous performance with eight seats, suffering losses in key areas including Mahabubnagar, which is the home district of Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy.

In the Assembly elections held in November 2023, the Congress secured 64 seats with a 39.40% vote share, while the BRS experienced its most significant defeat since its inception, losing all nine Lok Sabha seats.

The BRS’s vote share drastically declined from 37.35% to 16.68%, following a series of defections, including ten MLAs leaving for the Congress.

The year also began tragically for the opposition with the untimely death of young MLA G. Lasya Nanditha in a road accident.

The BRS lost a seat to the Congress during bye-elections held alongside the Lok Sabha polls. Following their loss of power, K. Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR), the former chief minister and BRS leader, was notably absent from the Assembly.

Barring the Lok Sabha campaign, KCR maintained a low profile, leaving public appearances to his son K.T. Rama Rao and nephew T. Harish Rao.

The arrest of KCR’s daughter, K. Kavitha, by the ED was a significant blow in March. Following months in judicial custody, she was granted bail by the Supreme Court.

As the year progressed, KCR’s family faced further issues when the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) initiated a case against K.T. Rama Rao for alleged misconduct related to the Formula-E car race held in Hyderabad during the BRS term.

With accusations of corrupt practices surrounding payments of over Rs.54.88 crore to a UK-based company, KTR vehemently denied the allegations, asserting that the event aimed to position Telangana as a hub for Electric Vehicles.

Following the ACB's FIR, the ED also launched an investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

Further scrutiny fell on KCR and his nephew T. Harish Rao regarding alleged irregularities in the Kaleshwaram project, with a Commission investigating cost escalations and maintenance issues.

Shortly after taking office, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy ordered judicial inquiries into the Kaleshwaram project and two thermal power plants.

The report, submitted by a commission led by former Supreme Court judge M.B. Lokur, is believed to criticize the previous government significantly.

In March, the phone-tapping allegations surfaced, leading to the arrest of Deputy Superintendent of Police Praneeth Rao, who revealed that the former head of the Special Intelligence Bureau had allegedly organized surveillance on rival political figures, journalists, and judges.

As part of fulfilling election promises, the Revanth Reddy-led government restructured the Telangana State Public Service Commission, conducting exams to fill various vacancies.

Subsequent notifications for 11,062 teacher posts were issued in February, and the government claimed to have created over 55,000 jobs in its first year, which the BRS disputed.

In its early days, the government launched initiatives such as free travel for women on public buses and solicited applications from eligible families for six guarantees. Approximately 1.05 crore applications were received statewide.

Additional promises included a farm loan waiver of up to Rs.2 lakh, free electricity for households, and subsidized cooking gas for low-income families.

Despite these claims, opposition parties raised doubts about the government’s achievements. The establishment of Young India Integrated Residential Schools and the launch of Young India Skill University were also noteworthy.

Controversy surrounded the installation of the ‘Telangana Talli’ statue in the State Secretariat, seen as an attempt by Revanth Reddy to dismantle KCR’s legacy.

This led to a backlash from the BRS, which labeled it ‘Congress Talli’ and accused the government of erasing Telangana’s identity.

The demolition of properties, including the N-Convention Centre owned by Nagarjuna, by the newly established Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) also ignited protests, as the centre was accused of encroaching on protected land.

Amidst this, Nagarjuna's family faced further strife as State Forest Minister Konda Surekha blamed KTR for the divorce of actors Naga Chaitanya and Samantha Ruth Prabhu. Nagarjuna subsequently filed a defamation suit against the minister.

In December, Allu Arjun was embroiled in a scandal following a fatal stampede at the Sandhya Theatre during the premiere of his film ‘Pushpa 2: The Rule’, leading to his arrest.

Allu Arjun and his team were charged with culpable homicide, with the actor rejecting the allegations as false and aimed at tarnishing his reputation. A meeting between Tollywood representatives and the Chief Minister was held to alleviate tensions, with the Chief Minister clarifying he had no intention to target anyone.