Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has accused the BRS and BJP of maintaining a “bond” and attacked former CM K Chandrasekhar Rao and Union Minister G Kishan Reddy for spreading “canards” against the Congress government and creating “hurdles” for the development of the state.

Launching a campaign in support of party candidate for the Jubilee Hills Assembly bypoll, V Naveen Yadav, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy alleged that Kishan Reddy was stalling development of Hyderabad by obstructing expansion of the Hyderabad Metro Rail project and Musi rejuvenation project.

“The BJP leaders are maintaining secret relations with BRS. The BJP’s victory in eight Lok Sabha seats (during 2024 polls) was evidence for it. Did the two Union ministers (Kishan Reddy and Bandi Sanjay Kumar) bring any funds to the state,” he asked on Friday.

He charged that the BJP MPs are canvassing in Jubilee Hills without asking for funds from Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the development of Telangana.

Stating that the Congress has taken up development projects worth Rs 4,000 crore in Secunderabad Cantonment after the party won the by-election there, the CM appealed to the Jubilee Hills voters to support the Congress candidate Naveen Yadav.

“It is high time for development of the constituency and not the sentiment. It will be a historic mistake if the Congress nominee is not voted to win the by-election,” he said.

Revanth Reddy also hit out at BRS Working President KT Rama Rao for not taking care of Jubilee Hills during his tenure as the Municipal Administration and Urban development minister for 10 years.

“The then (BRS) rulers looted the state and never visited Jubilee Hills to address the public grievances,” he further alleged.

The chief minister also questioned the BJP for raising objections to inducting former cricketer and Congress leader Mohammad Azharuddin as a minister in his Cabinet.

“Why is the BJP so upset after Azharuddin is given a ministerial post,” he asked.

Revanth Reddy said that he will take the responsibility of the development of Jubilee Hills with the support of Azharuddin and Naveen Yadav soon after the by-elections.

The high-stakes bypoll to Jubilee Hills Assembly constituency here would take place on November 11, with votes to be counted on November 14.

The bypoll is necessitated by the death of BRS MLA Maganti Gopinath in June this year, following a heart attack.

—PTI

Asserting that “being a Bihari is now a matter of pride”, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday urged people to vote for the NDA in the assembly polls for the overall development of the state.

In a video message uploaded by his party JD(U) on social media on Saturday, Kumar claimed that law and order have remarkably improved in the state after his government came to power in November 2005.

“People knew Bihar before we came to power in 2005. We prioritised the restoration of law and order and established the rule of law in the state. Now, being a Bihari is a matter of pride for the residents of the state,” the chief minister said.

Kumar said his government has taken several measures for the empowerment of women, the weaker section of society, Dalits, and backward classes.

“And these efforts will continue further…Therefore, you must give another chance to the NDA for continuation of the development measures taken by the double-engine government with the support of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji”, he said.

He also urged people to once again vote for the NDA in the assembly polls to make a ‘Vikshit Bihar’.

—PTI

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has released its manifesto for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections 2025, making bold promises of providing one crore government jobs and empowering one crore women under its ‘Lakhpati Didi’ initiative. The manifesto, titled Sankalp Patra, was unveiled by BJP national president JP Nadda and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in Patna.

Employment drive and skill development

The NDA’s major highlight is the assurance of generating a crore government jobs in Bihar, a state known for large-scale migration of its workforce. The manifesto also mentions a “skill census” to help youth get employment aligned with their capabilities. “We will establish Bihar as a global skilling centre with Mega Skill Centres in every district,” the document states.

Women-centric schemes

Another key announcement focuses on women empowerment through the Chief Minister’s Women Employment Scheme, which promises financial assistance of up to Rs 2 lakh to women entrepreneurs. The NDA aims to make a crore women ‘lakhpati didis’ — meaning financially self-reliant women earning at least Rs 1 lakh annually.

The manifesto highlights the alliance’s commitment to inclusive development, combining job creation and economic empowerment of women as part of its central poll strategy.