Harish Rao counters CM Revanth Reddy’s claims on Formula-E controversy, blames him for Rs 700 crore economic loss caused

Former Minister and senior MLA T Harish Rao launched a broadside against Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy for spreading misinformation and damaging the State’s reputation globally. He rubbished the corruption charges against BRS working president and former Minister KT Rama Rao for allegedly causing a loss to the State through transfer of Rs 55 crore to the Formula-E organisers.

“Not Rama Rao, but the incompetent Chief Minister caused an economic loss of over Rs 700 crore to the State economy and also revenue loss of around Rs 71.5 crore to the State treasury,” he declared, while addressing a press meet at Telangana Bhavan on Friday.

Welcoming welcomed the High Court’s directions against arresting the BRS working president in the alleged Formula E case, Harish Rao termed it as a moral victory. He criticised Revanth Reddy for falsely alleging Rs 600 crore corruption in the Formula E racing event. “The event generated Rs 700 crore in economic benefits for the State in its first year alone, as per a Nielsen survey. Despite clear evidence, Revanth spreads lies to mislead the public,” he said.

After taking into account of the State government’s expenditure of Rs 30 crore and the economic activity created, the former Minister explained that the State would have yielded Rs 71.5 crore in GST and other tax revenue, benefiting both the State and the Central treasuries. He castigated Revanth Reddy for jeopardising Telangana’s global image by prematurely canceling agreements related to the Formula E event.

“Such hasty decisions have led to international litigation in London, tarnishing the State’s reputation,” he said, adding that these actions have cost Telangana Rs 700 crore in potential economic activity. He took a dig at the Chief Minister for announcing plans to contest and host the 2036 Olympics in Hyderabad, after such a disaster decision which ruined the State’s reputation in the international sports circles.

Harish Rao countered the Chief Minister’s claims, stating that Rama Rao made efforts to position Hyderabad as a hub for electric vehicle (EV) investments. He said due to his vision, Rama Rao brought the



prestigious Formula E race to Hyderabad, showcasing the city on the global stage. He dismissed corruption allegations, attributing any procedural lapses to administrative complexities, not malfeasance.

The former Minister also attacked Revanth Reddy’s governance, dubbing it as chaotic and focused on filing baseless cases against opposition leaders and citizens. “Cases have been filed against farmers, students, auto drivers, and even film actors. Revanth’s actions show no direction or vision for the State’s development,” he remarked.

Highlighting the Congress government’s failures, Harish Rao pointed to unfulfilled election promises, stalled investments, and rising public discontent. In one year of Congress rule, he said nothing has changed except power shifting hands. “Revanth has misled people, creating problems and filing cases to divert attention from unkept guarantees,” he charged.

Further, the BRS legislator castigated the Chief Minister for spreading misinformation on the State’s debts. He pointed out that Telangana’s debt is at Rs 4.17 lakh crore, contrary to Revanth’s claims of a financial crisis with Rs 7 lakh crore debt. He slammed the Congress for undermining the BRS government’s achievements, such as Rythu Bandhu, fee reimbursements, and pension increases, through false narratives.

The former Minister also called out Revanth Reddy’s alleged personal vendetta against KT Rama Rao and other BRS leaders. He said the Chief Miniter wants to imprison Rama Rao for exposing Congress’s scams and failed promises. He affirmed that the BRS will not backdown in exposing the corruption, irregularities and failures of the Congress government.

On the Enforcement Directorate’s case in the Formula E controversy, he said the Congress and the BJP colluded to target the BRS and destabilise the State. He questioned why the union government or the Central agencies did not respond to the complaints filed by the BRS on numerous scams under the Congress rule in Telangana. “They are one and the same. But we will keep exposing their scams and failures while working tirelessly for the people of Telangana,” he vowed.