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Congress propels to emerge key challenger in Telangana

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The Congress, which appeared to be trailing in Telangana at the third position a couple of months ago with the morale of party cadres at its lowest, now seems to have catapulted to be the key challenger to ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS).

The victory of Congress in neighbouring Karnataka and subsequent developments clearly indicate that the grand-old-party is pumped up to project itself as the alternative to Chief Minister KCR-led BRS.

After failing to capture power twice despite claiming credit for carving out Telangana state, the Congress party this time appears more confident.

Political analysts say the win in Karnataka has given the much needed boost to the Congress in Telangana.

In just one shot, it seems to have recovered from the shock of defections by a dozen MLAs soon after the 2018 polls, poor performance in all the Assembly by-elections and the infighting.

The Karnataka victory came at a time when Congress was looking down and out in Telangana due to the emergence of an aggressive BJP, which was projecting itself as the only viable alternative to the BRS.

The success of Congress in attracting a few leaders from the ruling party and the massive public response to the July 2 public meeting of Rahul Gandhi in Khammam are the other indicators of growing importance of the party in the state.

With just 4-5 months left for the polls, the Congress has suddenly emerged as the key challenger in the race for power, pushing BJP to third position.

Realising the importance of winning Telangana, the central leadership is also focusing on the state.

Rahul Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun kharge and other top leaders held a key meeting recently to discuss the strategy.

With promises on the lines of five guarantees given in Karnataka, the Congress is looking to further consolidate its position.

As part of this, Rahul Gandhi announced at the Khammam meeting that if voted to power Congress will pay Rs 4,000 monthly pension to widows, senior citizens and other beneficiaries.

This is almost double the pension BRS government is currently giving. That the Congress party is upbeat was evident from Rahul Gandhi’s confident tone at the Khammam meeting titled ‘Telangana Jana Garjana’ (Roar of Telangana people).

With this public meeting, the Congress leader sounded the bugle for the Assembly elections due to be held later this year.

The huge response lifted the spirit of the party cadre in the state and gave it the confidence that it can give BRS a run for its money.

This was the first major show of strength by the Congress in Telangana after its victory in Karnataka elections.

The state Congress leaders claimed that the Congress cadre is rejuvenated, enthused and buoyant after the massive success of the Khammam rally.

Rahul Gandhi boosted the morale of the party by declaring that BJP is longer in the race in Telangana and that the direct fight will be between Congress and BRS. Karnataka will be repeated in Telangana, he thundered.

Political analysts say while the momentum shifted towards Congress after its victory in Telangana, the party has made a good beginning to build on this momentum.

“Congress sees an opportunity in Telangana and it is trying to make full use of this,” said political analyst Palwai Raghavendra Reddy.

The meeting was not only to induct former MP Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy into the Congress but also marked the culmination of Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka’s padyatra.

The Congress has shown that despite defeats in 2014 and 2018 polls, defections, poor performance in Assembly by-elections and elections to Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and the infighting, it remains a strong force in the state.

Unlike BJP whose presence is confined to few districts, Congress still has a strong presence across the state. The grand-old-party got a big boost recently when 35 leaders from BRS, including former Khammam MP Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy and former minister Jupally Krishna Rao decided to join Congress.

The Congress, which was hoping to politically benefit in Telangana by claiming credit for delivering a separate state, had lost the initiative to Telangana Rashtra Samithi (now BRS).

In the 119-member Assembly, the Congress could win 21 seats while TRS formed the first government in the new state.

Of the 7 Lok Sabha seats, Congress could win just two. Defections of some MLAs and resignation of several senior leaders to join TRS had further weakened the party. The slide continued for the Congress in 2018.

Despite an alliance with Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Left and other small parties, Congress could win only 19 Assembly seats while TRS retained power by increasing its tally from 63 to 88.

The Congress could not keep its flock together as a dozen MLAs defected to TRS a few months later. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Congress managed to win three seats.

However, the party’s performance was disastrous in Assembly by-elections during the last four years as it failed to win a single seat.

However, the Karnataka outcome and subsequent developments hint at the reversal of the party’s fortunes in the state.

The Congress leaders claim that the manner in which BRS “distorted” statements of state party chief A. Revanth Reddy over free electricity to farmers show that the ruling party fears defeat in the coming elections.

Alleging that Revanth Reddy opposed free power to farmers, BRS called for a state-wide protest for two days.

The TPCC chief clarified that during his speech at a meeting in the United States, he was highlighting how KCR was misleading people by claiming to provide 24-hour power to farmers.

Hitting back at BRS, the Congress also called for protests at power substations. Its leaders dared BRS to prove that they are supplying round-the-clock power to farmers.

The Congress alleged that BRS is spreading lies by distorting the statement of Revanth Reddy to mislead people.

“It is clear that BRS is scared due to the rising graph of the Congress party in Telangana,” said AICC in charge for Telangana Manikrao Thakare.

“The BRS leaders have realized that ground is slipping under their feet and hence they are spreading these lies,” he said.

Claiming that the Congress stands for the welfare of farmers, he said the party would promise 24-hour free electricity.

Recalling that their leader Rahul Gandhi had released farmers’ declaration in Telangana, he said the Congress would do more for farmers than what BRS claims to be doing.

The Congress is looking to further bolster its campaign by inviting party leader Priyanka Gandhi to hold another big public meeting.

This time the meeting is proposed to be held at Nagarkurnool in undivided Mahabubnagar district.

Former minister Jupally Krishna Rao and several other BRS leaders are likely to join Congress at this public meeting.

Business

Adani Group’s consolidated portfolio revenue stands at Rs 2.92 lakh crore in FY26: Chairman

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Ahmedabad, June 24: Gautam Adani, the Adani Group Chairman, on Wednesday said that FY2025-26 was another year of disciplined growth and strong execution for the Group, and its consolidated portfolio revenue stood at Rs 2.92 lakh crore, thereby reflecting a year-on-year growth of 7.4 per cent.

Addressing shareholders at the Adani Group’s 34th Annual General Meeting (AGM) 2026, Gautam Adani said they are now one of the very few global companies that are not reacting to the future but are prepared for it.

“At Adani Energy Solutions, our transmission order book rose to Rs 72,000 crore. We secured several major projects, including the Khavda South Olpad HVDC line, reinforcing our position as India’s only private sector player with proven HVDC capability,” the billionaire industrialist told the gathering.

“At Adani Power, we are implementing India’s largest ever private sector power capex programme of over Rs 2 lakh crore, with a target of reaching 45 GW of capacity over the next five years. We are also honoured to be partnering with the Government of Bhutan’s Druk Green Power Corporation. As part of this partnership, the Adani Group and the DGPC will jointly develop 5,000 megawatts of hydropower projects in Bhutan,” the Adani Group Chairman explained.

The Group’s entry into nuclear energy through Adani Atomic Energy is another confident step towards securing India’s long-term energy future.

“With land identified and a 10 GW targeted capacity by 2035, we are positioning ourselves early to serve the growing national demand for clean, round-the-clock power,” Gautam Adani noted.

“At Adani Total Gas, we accelerated and crossed the significant milestone of over 1.1 million Piped Natural Gas home connections. Given the current geopolitical situation, we are further ramping up our PNG projects to meet India’s rising demand for more accessible gas. Coming to connectivity and logistics, Adani Ports handled over 500 million tonnes of cargo in FY 2025-26, setting an unmatched benchmark for the nation and creating a clear pathway to one billion tonnes by 2030,” Gautam Adani highlighted.

The integrated network of ports, SEZs, logistics assets and expanding maritime services “places us in a unique position to keep gaining market share while lowering the cost and complexity of India’s trade”, the Adani Group Chairman noted.

“I am proud to specifically say that Vizhinjam, one of the most strategic ports on the global maritime route, delivered a record first year by crossing one million TEUs. This is the fastest pace ever achieved by any Indian port and a strong signal of India’s arrival on the global transshipment map,” said Gautam Adani during his speech.

In airports, the Group achieved two defining milestones with the opening of Navi Mumbai International Airport and the new integrated terminal building at Guwahati Airport, both inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“Earlier this year, both these airports made it to the list of the World’s Seven Most Beautiful Airports. The commencement of operations at Navi Mumbai in December 2025 also marked a proud moment in India’s aviation landscape, with a 90-million-passenger-capacity-airport built in a world-record time of just over four years,” said Gautam Adani.

In digital and industrial infrastructure, the Group’s Data Centre business is firmly on the path to building a 3 GW platform by 2030.

“The binding MoU for a gigawatt-scale data centre with Google in Visakhapatnam reflects both the scale of the digital demand ahead, and the confidence that global technology leaders such as Google, Microsoft, Uber and Flipkart are placing on us,” the Adani Group Chairman noted.

“At Adani Cement, we contributed to iconic national projects ranging from the Chenab Railway Bridge to Navi Mumbai International Airport and the Umiya Dham foundation in Ahmedabad. Over the past year, our cement platform expanded significantly, with total capacity increasing to 110 MMTPA,” Gautam Adani added.

The Adani Group Chairman further added that in defence and aerospace, “our ambition became even bolder”.

“Our partnerships with Leonardo and Embraer are helping lay the foundation for integrated helicopter and regional aircraft manufacturing ecosystems in India. We are building a national aerospace platform that spans manufacturing, MRO, services and pilot training,” Gautam Adani said.

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Andhra CM to inaugurate newly installed gates of Tungabhadra Dam on June 25

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Amaravati, June 24: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, along with his Karnataka counterpart D. K. Shivakumar, Telangana counterpart A. Revanth Reddy and Union Jal Shakti Minister C. R. Patil, will inaugurate the newly installed crest gates of the Tungabhadra Project on June 25.

They will participate in the inauguration ceremony and attend a public meeting at Hosapete in Karnataka.

The project, considered a lifeline for the states of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, has undergone a major transformation with the installation of new gates.

According to an official release here on Tuesday, work on installing all 33 gates, costing Rs 51 crore, has been completed.

Built 73 years ago, the Tungabhadra Project serves as a vital water source for lakhs of acres of agricultural land across Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

Gate No. 19 was washed away during the floods in August 2024. To immediately prevent water wastage, a ‘stop-log’ gate was installed following the Andhra Pradesh government’s initiative and Chief Minister Chandrababu’s directives.

Acting on a report from the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) recommending the replacement of all spillway gates, the states of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka successfully completed the installation of new gates within six months, effectively revitalising the project.

The Tungabhadra Project plays a crucial role for Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Telangana, providing irrigation water to lakhs of acres and drinking water to hundreds of villages.

In Andhra Pradesh alone, the Tungabhadra Project provides irrigation water to 1.46 lakh hectares. Water is supplied to the Kurnool, Kadapa, and Anantapur districts via the right canal.

Against this backdrop, the states of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka treated the project’s safety as a matter of high priority and rapidly completed the installation of the gates.

A delegation from Karnataka had met Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu on Monday and invited him to attend the inauguration of the newly installed crest gates.

The delegation, comprising former Karnataka Minister N.S. Bosuraju, MLA Basavaraju, and MLC Basavanna Gowda, handed over the invitation to the Chief Minister.

Ahead of the inauguration ceremony, Telangana’s Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy on Monday directed officials to take steps to assert Telangana’s rights on using its share of the Tungabhadra river waters, and to prepare a comprehensive report on legal, technical, and administrative aspects of the state’s share of water from the river.

Uttam Kumar Reddy made it clear that there will be no compromise on using Telangana’s share of water from the Rajolibanda Diversion Scheme (RDS) on the Tungabhadra.

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Crime

Delhi Police bust drug network, arrest peddler and supplier; heroin worth over 106 gm seized

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New Delhi, June 23: In a major crackdown on narcotics trafficking, East District Police in Delhi have arrested a drug peddler and her alleged supplier, recovering 106.68 grams of suspected heroin/smack and Rs 1,01,732 in cash believed to be proceeds from drug sales.

According to a press release issued by East District Police, the operation was conducted during the investigation of FIR No. 144/2026 registered under Section 21 of the NDPS Act at Shakarpur Police Station. Police described the action as part of a sustained campaign against drug trafficking and abuse in the national Capital.

The case began on June 21 after police received secret information that a woman was allegedly selling smack/heroin near Metro Pillar No. 51 in Vijay Block, Laxmi Nagar. Acting on the tip-off, a police team reached the spot and apprehended the suspect, identified as 42-year-old Farzana Begum, a resident of Loni in Uttar Pradesh.

During her search, officers recovered 31.68 grams of suspected heroin/smack and Rs 4,832 in cash. During interrogation, Farzana allegedly revealed the identity of the person supplying the narcotics to her.

Based on this information, a police team led by Inspector Manoj Kumar conducted a follow-up operation near Jag Pravesh Chandra Hospital in Shastri Park, where the supplier, identified as 26-year-old Imran of Kartar Nagar, Delhi, was apprehended.

Police said 24 grams of suspected heroin/smack were recovered from Imran’s possession. A further search of the red scooty allegedly used by him led to the recovery of an additional 51 grams of suspected heroin concealed in a yellow plastic packet.

“A total of 106.68 grams of suspected heroin/smack (Intermediate Quantity) was recovered from both accused persons,” the police said in the statement. The recovered substance was examined on the spot by the Mobile Crime Forensic Team using a Narcotic Drug Detection Kit and tested positive for suspected heroin/smack.

Investigators also recovered Rs 96,900 from Imran and his vehicle, taking the total cash seizure to Rs 1,01,732. Police said the accused disclosed during interrogation that the money had been generated through the sale and distribution of narcotics.

In addition to the contraband and cash, officers seized a red scooty, a mobile phone and an earphone.

“Efforts are underway to identify the complete supply chain and other associates involved in narcotics trafficking,” the press release stated. Police are now probing the source of the drugs and examining both forward and backward linkages of the network.

East District Police reiterated its commitment to a “zero-tolerance campaign against narcotics trafficking,” adding that Intelligence-based operations and enforcement drives will continue to target drug networks operating in the district.

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