KTR blames Congress for Telangana losing Tesla

BRS working president KT Rama Rao criticized the Congress government for its alleged double standards, questioning how it could justify spending Rs 54 crore on the upcoming Miss World beauty pageant while canceling the Formula-E race without Cabinet approval.

He argued that the government was willing to allocate public funds for an international beauty event, which he claimed had lost global relevance, while dismissing Formula-E as an unnecessary expense.

“They canceled Formula-E without Cabinet approval, citing financial concerns. But now, they’re eager to spend R54 crore on a beauty pageant, claiming it will boost tourism and employment. The government must explain this contradiction,” KTR said during a discussion in the Assembly on Tuesday.

Telangana lost golden opportunity

He accused the Congress of undermining Telangana’s investment potential by scrapping the Formula-E race, which was poised to attract global investors.

“Tesla was considering India, and Telangana lost a golden opportunity by canceling an internationally reputed event like Formula-E,” he said, highlighting that the race had previously attracted investments such as Amararaja Batteries at Divitipally, Mobility Valley at Yenkathala, and manufacturing units at Zaheerabad.

KTR also called out the Congress for inconsistency in leasing government assets.

“When in opposition, they criticized our decision to lease the Outer Ring Road on a Toll-Operate-Transfer (TOT) basis for 33 years. But now, their new tourism policy proposes leasing government lands to private players for 99 years—essentially a lifetime lease. Isn’t this the same policy they once opposed?” he asked.