BRS working president K. T. Rama Rao launched a sharp attack on the Telangana Congress government on Thursday, 28 May 2026, defending the former BRS administration's 2BHK double-bedroom housing scheme and challenging the ruling party to honour its own manifesto pledges on housing delivery.

Context

In a lengthy post on X, K. T. Rama Rao — popularly known as KTR — contrasted the BRS government's housing record with what he described as demolitions of poor people's homes by the current administration. Translating the core charge from Telugu: 'Itukalu pérchi indlu kattidam mém... pédalandlu méda bulldozers ékkinci kúlaguddutunna krúrulu meeru' ('We laid bricks and built homes... you are the cruel ones who are bringing bulldozers down on the houses of the poor').

The post comes amid sustained political exchanges between the BRS and the Indian National Congress, which swept to power in Telangana in the December 2023 assembly elections. Housing has remained a flashpoint, with each side disputing the other's construction and demolition figures.

Policy Backdrop

The 2BHK double-bedroom housing scheme was launched by the BRS government in 2015 as a flagship welfare programme targeting low-income families across Telangana. The scheme was positioned as a qualitative upgrade over earlier housing efforts, including the Indiramma houses programme from the undivided Andhra Pradesh era. KTR claimed that one lakh double-bedroom houses were constructed in Hyderabad alone, asserting each unit was equivalent in value to seven Indiramma houses.

BRS formed the government after Telangana achieved statehood in June 2014, following a prolonged statehood movement. The party governed the state for nearly a decade before losing the 2023 elections. KTR argued that the Congress-led government had promised 20 lakh Indiramma houses before seeking votes, and challenged the relevant minister to honour that commitment before canvassing.

Stakeholders and Impact

The central stakeholders in this dispute are Telangana's urban poor and slum dwellers, who depend on state-backed housing schemes for shelter. KTR's post alleged that weekend demolitions of homes belonging to ordinary residents reflected 'perverse joy' on the part of the ruling dispensation — a charge the Congress government has not yet formally responded to on the public record.

KTR also levelled a series of broader corruption allegations, including claims about contracts awarded to a minister's son's company, illegal crusher operations, land dealings through the revenue department, and blacklisting activities in the Bhu Bharati land records portal. These allegations are politically charged and, as noted, cannot be independently verified from established public records at this time.

What's Next

KTR demanded that the Telangana Congress government issue a white paper disclosing how many houses have been built and how many demolished in Hyderabad over the past two and a half years. He also called on the ruling party to publicly pledge implementation of every manifesto promise, including its six guarantees and 13 declarations, which he accused the government of abandoning. With local body elections on the horizon in Telangana, the housing debate is likely to intensify as both parties seek to define their welfare credentials before voters.