The Winter Session of the began on December 29 with an unusually subdued start, even as it marked the return of to the House in his new role as Leader of the Opposition. This was KCR’s first appearance in the Assembly since the Congress assumed power in the state. He was accompanied by senior BRS leaders, including his son and Siddipet MLA T Harish Rao, signalling that despite the calm opening, the opposition is preparing for a confrontational session ahead. Chief Minister personally greeted KCR, a moment that briefly set a cordial tone before political differences resurfaced.
During the Zero Hour, opposition members raised a range of governance and welfare-related concerns, with Harish Rao accusing the government of neglecting employees by delaying dearness allowance payments, arrears, and the implementation of the Pay Revision Commission, along with demands for restoring the Old Pension Scheme. Issues related to police welfare were also flagged, including the restoration of a health insurance scheme covering corporate hospitals. From the treasury benches, Minority Welfare Minister Mohammed Azharuddin responded to AIMIM MLA Ahmed Balala’s appeal for the immediate release of overseas and post-Class 10 scholarships, acknowledging that halted reimbursements were pushing educational institutions towards financial collapse and directly affecting students. After a brief session, Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar adjourned the House until January 2, with a scheduled recess from December 30 to January 1.
Outside the Assembly, KTR launched a sharp attack on the chief minister, questioning his understanding of river basins and irrigation projects and warning that agreeing to share 45 TMC of Krishna river water would harm Telangana’s interests. He alleged deliberate delays in key irrigation projects such as Palamuru–Rangareddy to deny credit to the previous BRS government, and raised concerns over the Medigadda barrage, demanding accountability despite engineers’ complaints. On the issue of alleged phone tapping, KTR dismissed the ongoing investigations as diversionary tactics, arguing that multiple probes had failed to conclusively prove any allegations. His remarks underscored that while the session opened quietly, the coming days are likely to see intense political sparring on water sharing, infrastructure, and governance.
