HYDERABAD: Union minister G Kishan Reddy on Saturday said L&T suffered losses of Rs 3,500 crore after the BRS came to power and is not in a position to take up the second phase of the Hyderabad Metro Rail project. He added that a new company may be brought in through a tripartite agreement to execute Phase 2, but alleged that the Congress government is concealing this plan.
Speaking to reporters, Kishan Reddy clarified that the BJP had not sought support from any party in Telangana for its Vice-President candidate. He reiterated his demand for a CBI probe into alleged irregularities in the Kaleshwaram project.
On the Jubilee Hills by-election, he said the BJP considers it a prestigious contest and will make every effort to win. He also criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of making “inconsistent and baseless” statements on the State Information Register (SIR) in Bihar. “One day, he says the number of voters is increasing; another day, he alleges voters are being deleted. His stand on SIR is not firm,” he remarked.
Kishan Reddy stressed that sitting MLAs from other parties must resign before joining the BJP, citing the examples of Eatala Rajender and Rajagopal Reddy. He maintained that the alleged MLA poaching case had concluded with the Munugode bypoll, while welcoming leaders from any party to join the BJP.
On the urea shortage issue, Union Minister Kishan Reddy said that after State Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao contacted him, he reached out to Union Fertilisers Minister JP Nadda. He added that urea supplies are now being dispatched and technical teams have arrived at Ramagundam Fertilisers and Chemicals Limited (RFCL) to resolve production issues.
Responding to former minister Harish Rao’s claim that there was never a urea shortage under the BRS regime, Kishan Reddy sarcastically asked if urea was being produced “from a farmhouse” during their rule. He asserted that the Modi-led Central government has ensured adequate fertiliser supply to support farmers and agricultural growth.
Kishan Reddy also alleged that remarks from the Congress government had caused panic among farmers, prompting many to hoard urea out of fear of scarcity.