Hyderabad: Telangana’s decision to host the 72nd Miss World pageant has sparked a political row between the ruling Congress and the opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS).
As CM Revanth Reddy’s government defends its decision as a strategic investment in Telangana’s future—particularly in tourism and allied sectors—the BRS is pushing back, questioning the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) cases over the 2023 Formula E race held under the K. Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) government. The opposition contends that its event was also intended to drive Telangana’s growth.
CM Revanth Reddy dismissed the comparison as ridiculous, accusing the BRS of swindling public funds in the guise of Formula-E races.
“I am promoting Telangana Brand image globally with Miss World whereas they looted government money with Formula E,” the CM said at an event in Hyderabad Thursday.
Earlier, former minister, BRS working president, Sircilla MLA and KCR’s son, K.T. Rama Rao, has accused the Congress government of spending Rs 200 crore on the international Miss World pageant, which Telangana will host from 7 to 31 May.
“This government should be ashamed. While the crops are wilting, farmers are ending their lives, they are proudly announcing beauty contests. For what use are these competitions when no section of Telangana society is happy here?” asked KTR Wednesday, reacting to the state budget 2025-26, which he said has let down the voters on the election promises.
KTR termed the pageant as a wasteful expenditure while alleging that the state, under Revanth Reddy, is grappling with a Rs 71,000 crore revenue deficit.
“Instead, you should set your administration right for the benefit of the public,” said the former IT, industries, municipal administration and urban development minister.
He also led a sloganeering march in the Assembly alongside BRS MLAs.
The Miss World pageant has come in handy for KTR who is facing a probe into the 2023 Formula E races held under his father’s government.
“Apparently spending Rs 46 crore for Formula-E race in Hyderabad was wrong and & will attract cases being filed. But spending Rs 200 crores of public money to conduct Miss World, a beauty contest is right !!” KTR said on X.
Tagging Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in the same post, he asked—“What is this perverse logic? Can you please explain?”
Speaking at a press conference Thursday about the event, State Tourism Minister Jupally Krishna Rao claimed that the pageant is a symbol of women empowerment, and a great opportunity to attract global scale investments and jobs.
“It will bring big income to Telangana,” Rao said, giving the example of the Kumbh Mela at Prayagraj, “on which the UP government spent a few thousand crores but earned multiples of it.”
Responding to allegations that the government is spending over Rs 200 crore on the Miss World pageant, the minister clarified that the event would cost only Rs 54 crore. He added that as per the agreement with the organisers, the state’s contribution would be Rs 27 crore, with most of it coming from corporate sponsorships.
“We have embarked on conducting a world class, historic event for us. Let us not politicise, criticise it,” he added.
Julia Morley, chairman and CEO, Miss World Limited, and Krystyna Pyszkova, reigning Miss World 2024, attended the press conference. Krystyna also visited “Telangana Tirupati” Yadagirigutta Wednesday.
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The 2023 Formula-E race
In December, the Telangana ACB registered a case against KTR, alleging financial irregularities amounting to around Rs 55 crore in the organisation of the Formula E races in Hyderabad under his tenure as minister during the BRS regime.
The later editions of the Formula E races, with one planned to be conducted in February 2024, were scrapped after the Revanth Reddy government dumped the contract, citing misappropriation and irregularities. The case against KTR is that the agreements for the event lacked state cabinet approval and that a significant portion of the Rs 55 crore paid to a UK-based agency was in foreign currency, causing a loss to the exchequer.
The then KTR-headed Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) department was responsible for the agreements with UK-based Formula E Operations and Ace Nxt Gen Private Limited, the sponsor of the Formula E races in Hyderabad. Senior IAS officer Arvind Kumar, special chief secretary, who was then heading MAUD, is also among the government officials named in the case.
KTR was also grilled by the agency in January about his role, amid apprehensions of his arrest in the party and his family. Following the ACB FIR, the ED, too, had then registered an enforcement case information report under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against KTR.
“Worked tirelessly for bringing a prestigious event to India, to enhance the Brand image of Hyderabad & Telangana globally. Agenda was to make Hyderabad a pivotal hub for sustainable mobility as the world transitions towards it,” KTR had said on X in January.
Worked tirelessly for bringing a prestigious event to India, to enhance the Brand image of Hyderabad & Telangana globally
Agenda was to make Hyderabad a pivotal hub for sustainable mobility as the world transitions towards it. Formula-E race was a part of the effort to realise… pic.twitter.com/JhqimVe9TI
— KTR (@KTRBRS) January 9, 2025
“Formula-E race was a part of the effort to realise this ambitious vision…Truth always triumphs & justice will prevail,” he added.
(Edited by Zinnia Ray Chaudhuri)
