KTR’s self-goals embarasses BRS with baseless criticism

His latest remarks on infant and maternal deaths at Gandhi Hospital exposed the BRS’ failures and caused embarrassment to the BRS leadership

Political analysts opine that Rama Rao is scoring “self goal” with his recent comments, intended to undermine the Congress government. They say his criticism has backfired and highlighted the BRS government’s own lapses and exposed his double-standards. The series of missteps has left the BRS leadership in a tight spot, raising questions about the party’s credibility and its handling of key issues during its time in power.

Rama Rao also criticised the Congress government over the deaths of 14 mothers due to post-delivery complications in August 2024 demanding a full investigation. He claimed that Telangana had achieved historically low infant and maternal mortality rates under the BRS government but accused the Congress of neglecting this crucial area.

However, official data from Gandhi Hospital shows that the mortality rates were significantly higher during the BRS tenure. In 2022-23 alone, 84 maternal deaths and 416 infant deaths occurred, while 108 maternal deaths and 430 infant deaths were recorded in 2023-24 — both under the BRS government. These revelations have left Rama Rao facing criticism for attempting to shift blame while ignoring his party’s own track record.

Adding to the embarrassment, BRS social media circles are criticising the Congress for allocating land to a journalists’ housing society on the ground that it has members of Andhra Pradesh origin. It is widely believed that these social media warriors have the backing of Rama Rao.

This attack conveniently overlooks the fact that the land was originally allocated in 2008 during the undivided Andhra Pradesh era. Despite the Supreme Court’s directions in August 2022 to hand over the land, the then BRS government failed to act, while the Congress administration recently completed the handover, making the former minister’s criticism appear more politically motivated than rooted in facts.

Rama Rao's criticism of Telangana’s fall in the EoDB rankings targeted the Congress government, accusing it of inefficiency. He lamented the state's slip from its top-tier status under the BRS regime, holding the Congress-led administration accountable for the decline. However, the rankings referred to by Rama Rao were actually based on the Business Reforms Action Plan (BRAP) for 2022 implemented during the BRS rule. This misstep has raised questions about his credibility and led to accusations that his statement was misleading. Critics argue that Rama Rao’s criticism overlooks the fact that the reforms were conducted under the BRS leadership.

The former minister’s call to blacklist MEIL after the collapse of a retaining wall at the Sunkishala project also intensified the controversy. He accused the Congress government of inaction, demanding accountability from the construction giant. However, during the BRS regime, Rama Rao remained silent when the company’s work on the Kaleshwaram pump houses resulted in submergence. Although Rama Rao initially claimed that MEIL would bear the costs of repairs, a report from the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) later revealed that the state government had footed the bill. This inconsistency has raised concerns about Rama Rao’s selective outrage.