Morning Pulse: A Congress MLA's tender revolt follows Revanth home from the Delhi march

The Congress went to Delhi on Monday to talk about clean elections. Overnight, the sharpest attack on Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy came from his own party, and it was about a road tender. Munugode MLA Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy, who stayed away from the march, alleged that the Rs 3,296 crore Radial Road-2 tender had been rigged against his son's company, and he named the Chief Minister's Office.

His claims, made in a phone conversation with a TV channel that later circulated online, were reported by Telangana Today, The Hans India and Vaartha. He said the family firm bid about Rs 600 crore below rivals across three packages but was disqualified and never had its price bids opened. He alleged that the CMO phoned firms, his own included, and told them not to bid, and that some companies were asked to put in dummy bids. He called it a scam in the Chief Minister's own portfolio, said the work had gone to Andhra Pradesh-based contractors, and said he would complain to Rahul Gandhi. These are his allegations. We found no response from the CMO, Hyderabad Growth Corridor Ltd or the Congress leadership by press time.

This closes the loop on the RR-2 case we flagged last night. On Monday, Justice B Vijaysen Reddy declined to halt the tender, Namasthe Telangana and Andhra Jyothy reported. He told the petitioner, Sushee Infra and Mining, which is linked to the MLA's family, to add the lowest bidder as a respondent and asked the government to file counter-affidavits. The core question, both papers said, is whether the firm's experience certificate for work in Arunachal Pradesh was valid. The government's lawyer argued the bids were opened before the case was filed and that the Rs 600 crore difference was the state's concern, not the petitioner's. Namasthe Telangana said the case was adjourned to the 29th.

In Delhi, the petition we were watching was filed but has not cleared the court's registry. India TV reported, and several other outlets carried the same account, that the Supreme Court registry flagged 14 defects in the INDIA bloc plea against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), from missing vakalatnamas to a Rs 220 shortfall in court fees. India TV said it was unlikely to be mentioned on Tuesday. No Telangana leader is named among the petitioners.

Revanth Reddy's own message hardened. Speaking to Congress legislators at Telangana Bhavan in Delhi, he likened the fight over voting rights to a second freedom struggle and accused the BJP of planning mass deletions with the Chief Election Commissioner's help, Telangana Today reported. At home, transport minister Ponnam Prabhakar told BJP state chief N Ramchander Rao to stop speaking as though the Election Commission answered to his party, Deccan Chronicle reported. Rao had said he would get any wrongly deleted names restored himself. The PCC's poll coordination chairman claimed over 73 lakh names had already been struck off in Telangana. We found no response from the Election Commission.

On the drought, there is still no date for the special cabinet meeting. Accounts of Monday's farmers' video conference in The Hans India and NewsMeter show what the government told them. Agriculture minister Tummala Nageswara Rao asked them to skip paddy and cotton this rabi season and move to pulses and oilseeds. State and district war rooms will track water, weather and power. Officials said reservoirs can now support about 7 lakh acres, against 37.56 lakh last year, and that drinking water gets priority until mid-2027. NewsMeter reported that the cabinet is to consider declaring mandals drought-hit and seeking central aid. No compensation figure has been announced.

We found no overnight report that the Osmania junior doctors' strike over medicines, equipment and Aarogyasri dues has ended, or any response from the health department.

Today, a High Court bench headed by Acting Chief Justice P Sam Koshy is due to hear the ED's plea for day-to-day trial of nine money-laundering complaints against former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, Deccan Chronicle reported.