Will quit politics if CM Revanth Reddy proves KLIS did not get cabinet nod, says BJP MP Eatala Rajender; demands CBI probe, slams Congress over HYDRAA

HYDERABAD: BJP MP and former minister Eatala Rajender said he is willing to retire from politics if chief minister A Revanth Reddy can prove that the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project was initiated without cabinet approval during the former BRS regime.Speaking at a press conference at the state BJP headquarters, Eatala said he was making the statement not as a BJP leader, but as a former minister who was part of the decision-making apparatus.

"No major project like Kaleshwaram can move forward without cabinet clearance," he asserted, citing former CM K Chandrasekhar Rao's own principle that even minor departmental matters required cabinet discussion. "If my claim is proven false, I will step away from politics," he said, throwing the gauntlet at the Congress govt.Eatala reminded that Kaleshwaram evolved from the Congress-era Pranahita-Chevella project, which was part of the Jalayagnam scheme. "Only three new components-Annaram, Sundilla, and Medigadda-were added to it," he said, countering the narrative that the BRS launched an entirely new project.He voiced skepticism about the implementation of the Kaleshwaram commission report, and demanded a CBI probe into alleged corruption in the project.

"If the Congress is serious about action, let it prove it by moving forward on the report," he said, calling attention to urgent concerns like Medigadda barrage's structural issues and the need to restore water flow.Clarifying his party's stand, he said, "The BJP is not against irrigation or infrastructure projects. What we oppose is their misuse for financial exploitation."As part of the BJP's campaign marking Prime Minister Modi's 11 years in office, Eatala announced a public meeting in Malkajgiri on June 22.

An exhibition on Modi's governance, along with a showcase of development work in Malkajgiri over the past year, will begin this Friday. Union ministers Kishan Reddy and Bandi Sanjay, and Telangana BJP in-charge Sunil Bansal are expected to attend.Eatala also launched a sharp attack on the Congress govt in the state, saying, "This is not a govt that builds homes-it demolishes them. Under the guise of HYDRAA, they are spreading fear among the poor." He compared the political shift from BRS to Congress as "jumping from the frying pan into the fire."