TRS chief seeks 24-hour free power for farmers, attacks state government over drought response and calls for structural reforms in exam and electoral systems
Hyderabad, Oct 2026 : Telangana Rakshana Sena (TRS) chief K. Kavitha on Sunday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene in the severe drought situation in Telangana and extend immediate assistance to nearly 60 lakh farmers affected by crop losses and water shortages.
Kavitha accused the Congress-led state government of failing to adequately address the crisis and alleged that the administration had neglected farmers despite worsening drought conditions. Telangana has been facing significant rainfall deficits, with the state government itself putting the situation under review amid concerns linked to the El Nino phenomenon.
She said states such as Maharashtra and Karnataka had declared drought-affected areas, potentially enabling them to seek assistance from the Union government, while Telangana had not taken a similar step. Kavitha urged the Centre to pay particular attention to the southern states and provide support to farmers facing severe distress.
“Our CM has given up... I request the PM, kindly help us out,” Kavitha said, referring to what she described as the impact of the drought triggered by “Super El-Nino”.
She appealed to the Union government to provide free electricity to farmers by utilising surplus power available elsewhere. “Telangana needs free power right now. Only 24 hours of free power can save farmers of Telangana. This is a matter of life and death,” she said.
Kavitha also criticised Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy over the state government’s response to the drought and referred to the CM’s reported religious efforts to seek rainfall. She said the government should instead focus on immediate measures to protect farmers and crops.
Her comments came as concerns over drought conditions have intensified in the state. Kavitha has separately demanded that drought-affected mandals be formally declared and that the state convene a special Cabinet meeting to address the situation.
Kavitha also spoke about nationwide youth protests over examination paper leaks and demands for institutional accountability. She argued that the resignation of an individual office-holder would not, by itself, resolve systemic problems.
“I appreciate the youngsters who are protesting, but a resignation is not the solution,” she said, questioning whether the resignation of a Union minister could guarantee that examination paper leaks would not recur.
She argued that the National Testing Agency (NTA) needed structural changes and greater independence. “So, what is the benefit of one person resigning? Okay, good, he resigned, took responsibility, but what about the whole testing agency and the system?” she asked.
On the ongoing controversy surrounding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and demands for his resignation, Kavitha similarly called for systemic reforms rather than focusing solely on an individual. She said accountability needed to be built into the electoral system and suggested that paper ballots could provide an alternative.
“Even if he resigns, what is the use? The whole system has to change. Accountability has to be fixed in the system. I believe the paper ballot can give us a better solution,” she said.
Her remarks came amid nationwide protests and political debate over the Election Commission’s functioning and the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, with opposition parties demanding greater accountability from the poll panel.
