BRS working president and Sircilla MLA K T Rama Rao, known as KTR, became emotional while speaking about his roots and political journey, declaring that Telangana is his gotram and Sircilla is his caste. The remarks came during a meeting in Hyderabad with villagers from Srigadha in Gambhiraopet mandal, held at Telangana Bhavan on Sunday.

KTR told the gathering that the people of Sircilla gave him political life and that he would never forget them. He said he had come this far only because of the encouragement of K Chandrashekar Rao, the party chief and former chief minister, whom he described as the man who gave Telangana its statehood.

"Telangana is my gotram, Sircilla is my caste." (KTR, speaking to Srigadha villagers in Hyderabad)

A father’s shadow and a personal promise

KTR said KCR would remain etched in the hearts of Telangana’s people and that no one would forget him even after five hundred years. He said he was proud to be his son. The emotional tone of the speech was clear, and the remarks quickly became the center of intense discussion across the region.

He also admitted that his visits to Sircilla have become less frequent. Party responsibilities across the state have kept him busy, he said, and he asked constituents to understand with a generous heart. He insisted that he had done the development work the constituency needed whenever he had the chance.

KTR spoke about the personal bonds he still holds with the villages in the area. He recalled that his grandmother’s village, Pochampalli, once stood on the other side of the Upper Manair reservoir and was submerged under its waters. He said people with his family name still live in Srigadha.

He reminded the audience of a road built from Bibipet to their village, and said the Upper Manair reservoir was made to overflow even in the scorching summer heat. He then turned the moment into a direct appeal for votes and loyalty. He said that when he was in power he protected the people, and now the people must protect him.

A promise for 2029

KTR predicted that KCR would become chief minister again in 2029. He said that once BRS returns to power, he would take responsibility for making Sircilla the number one constituency in the state. It was a bold pledge, delivered directly to the people he has represented for years.

Taking aim at Revanth Reddy

KTR focused much of his fire on Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, whose recent visit to Sircilla he described as strange. He said that when the Congress leader was in opposition, he claimed that funds were being diverted to Sircilla and that only that constituency was being developed. Now, KTR said, the same leader is accusing the previous government of doing nothing."I am unable to figure out whether he is Ramudu or Remudu," KTR said, using a sharp wordplay to mock the chief minister’s shifting positions.

He went further and said people across Telangana are suffering under Congress rule. He claimed farmers are not getting urea and are missing Rythu Bandhu payments. He said crops are drying up because of a shortage of electricity, and he argued that the crisis is not caused by drought. He placed the blame squarely on the Congress government.

Kaleshwaram and the water question

KTR described the Kaleshwaram project as a kalpataru, a wish-fulfilling tree, in the current drought conditions. He accused the Revanth Reddy government of leaving the project unused out of vendetta against KCR, and said this has pushed ordinary people into hardship. He said water was not being lifted from Kannepalli, and as a result, water had been diverted to Andhra Pradesh.""

That claim carries a direct Andhra Pradesh angle. KTR contrasted the situation with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, saying that Naidu is sending water to Kuppam, which he described as about 700 kilometres away, while Telangana’s chief minister cannot deliver water to his own district only 70 kilometres away. The comparison turned the water dispute into a sharp political attack on the state government, and it raises questions about how Telangana’s river resources are being managed across the border.

KTR demanded that the government wake up without delay and save the people from drought. He warned that if it did not act, BRS would announce a struggle programme across the state. The threat set the stage for a further political confrontation in the coming weeks.

Why the speech matters

The speech blended personal memory with a hard political campaign. KTR used his family history, his grandmother’s submerged village, and his relationship with KCR to build a emotional case for loyalty. At the same time, he turned those sentiments into a charge sheet against the Congress government over farming, power supply, and water.

For Sircilla and the wider Telangana electorate, the message is clear. KTR is asking for patience over his absence, loyalty in return for past development, and a promise of a BRS comeback. Whether that message holds with voters will depend on how the drought, the Kaleshwaram debate, and the farm distress play out in the months ahead.