Hyderabad: Making his maiden trip to Telangana during his third term, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a veiled swipe at Congress Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, asking the Telangana leader to join him if the former’s ambitions were to be fulfilled.
PM Modi’s remark was in response to the chief minister’s request to grant more funds to Telangana, just as the late Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had played a significant role in granting funds to Gujarat when Modi was ruling Gujarat for 10 years during the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance’s rule from 2004 to 2014.
“Aap jahan pahuchna chahte ho, nahi pahunch payenge. Aur isliye achha hai ki mere se hi judo (you cannot reach the place where you aim to reach. Hence, it is better you join me),” Modi said in a lighter vein.
To the shock of the Congress minister on the dais, Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, and the surprise of Union ministers G. Kishan Reddy and Bandi Sanjay, the PM continued, saying, “Revanth ji said he would not speak about politics. I, too, will not speak about politics. I will speak only about non-political matters. I am ready to give whatever the Manmohan Singh government gave to Gujarat. According to my information, if the same amount given to Gujarat had been given to Telangana, Telangana would not have received even 50 percent of what it is getting now. And you cannot reach your goal.”
The chief minister, who spoke shortly before the PM’s address, requested the Centre’s assistance in various projects, including the metro, which has a huge capital expenditure outlay.
“For Telangana’s development, please spend two hours, so that we can present our development proposals to you,” Reddy said, adding that the Centre should have a single window system for approving proposals of the six major cities. He added, “Modi ji is known for his big heart. I request him to turn towards Telangana and support our development projects.”
The Prime Minister’s remarks came on the back of projects he inaugurated and virtually laid the foundation for at the Hyderabad International Convention Centre in Cyberabad, where Union ministers, senior state cabinet ministers, bureaucrats, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, and select businessmen were invited.
The whirlwind visit to Hyderabad began on 10 May, with the Prime Minister virtually laying the foundation stone for and inaugurating multiple development projects worth around Rs 9,400 crore in the city. He also inaugurated various sections of the Kazipet-Vijayawada multi-tracking project of the railways, the Greenfield POL (Petroleum, Oil, Lubricants) Terminal in Hyderabad, and the Kazipet Rail-Under-Rail Bypass.
The PM’s visit to Telangana was heavily marked by political messaging, focusing on personal relationships with leaders, securing voter support, and navigating tense international challenges posed by the ongoing US-Iran war.
Later on Sunday evening, he also addressed a huge gathering at Hyderabad’s Parade Grounds, where he urged the people of Telangana to vote the BJP into power in 2028. Amid chants of ‘Agli baar Modi sarkaar’, Modi said that Telangana should take a leaf from West Bengal’s book and choose a party that works in the national interest.
“I have full faith in the people of Telangana. I know that the people of the state are frustrated by Congress and the Bharatiya Rashtra Samithi (BRS), who make promises at the time of elections and later forget about them. I can feel the pulse of all of you in Telangana. We will work for the state with fresh thought, a new vision and renewed commitment,” PM Modi said.
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Meeting Naidu, Kalyan
The PM also visited Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu and his deputy, Konidela Pawan Kalyan, at their residences in Jubilee Hills.
Naidu posted pictures of Modi with his family and wrote on X, “A memorable evening that our family will always cherish.”
A memorable evening that our family will always cherish.
It was an honour and a pleasure to host Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji at our residence today. His warmth, affection, and generous interaction made this occasion truly special for all of us.
I thank the… pic.twitter.com/UElaVj8dAR
— N Chandrababu Naidu (@ncbn) May 10, 2026
Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan posted on X, “His (PM’s) gracious visit to personally enquire about my health reflects his warmth, affection and humane leadership. Despite his hectic schedule and immense responsibilities, he took time to visit and extend his support, a gesture that I deeply value and cherish.”
Sharing a few memorable moments from the visit of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji to my residence today.
A truly special , honoured and cherished occasion for me and my family.@PMOIndia pic.twitter.com/zwgkNYu859
— Pawan Kalyan (@PawanKalyan) May 10, 2026
Sources in the Telugu Desam Party and the Jana Sena Party told ThePrint that the PM’s visit was to discuss the National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA) strategy for the upcoming Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) elections. The presence of a large number of settlers from Andhra Pradesh in Hyderabad could help the BJP-led NDA perform better in the newly bifurcated GHMC, which has three corporations in the state.
US-Iran war and crises
With the closure of the Strait of Hormuz choking global supplies of petrol, diesel and cooking gas, PM Modi urged Indian citizens to use these commodities judiciously. Calling it the “need of the hour”, he said the nation needed to unite, just as everyone did during the Covid-19 pandemic. He cautioned that foreign currency reserves needed to be conserved. He spelt out five measures the government would take to lessen the impact of the war on India.
Besides encouraging the citizens to use public transport and imposing self-restraint on using private vehicles, he also urged Indians to cut back on buying gold for a year, and discouraged citizens from travelling overseas for a year. Other measures include reduced copper imports, decreasing the use of cooking oil, and cutting back on chemical fertilisers and urea by up to 50 percent.
Indicating a price hike, he said that the Indian government was bearing the brunt of the increased prices and said that supply chain issues could cause problems for the country. To address the economic crisis, the PM pointed to installing solar pumps in farms instead of diesel pumpsets, ethanol blending, Liquified Petroleum Gas expansion and Compressed Natural Gas infrastructure as key measures to strengthen energy security.
(Edited by Nardeep Singh Dahiya)
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