“Some forces are counting my tours to New Delhi. The media always says I’m going there to seek permission for Cabinet expansion. Today’s Delhi visit has no political significance… Tomorrow, we will discuss the issues that need to be raised in Parliament on behalf of the state government with Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs,” Reddy, who is from the Congress, said.

Reddy’s comments come at a time when there is speculation that he has been visiting Delhi to discuss Cabinet expansion and to shortlist appointments for various posts in the state’s public sector corporations.

In a statement in October, opposition Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) working president K T Rama Rao said that Reddy visited Delhi 23 times in 10 months but the state is yet to see any benefits. “He might set a record for the number of Delhi visits,” the BRS leader said.

The CM has said previously that his visits were not linked to politics. He reiterated that on Monday, saying he was visiting Delhi to “chalk out an action plan to get funds and permissions due to the state” and “meet Union ministers seeking the release of pending funds”.

“I’m not going to Delhi to kneel down before PM (Narendra) Modi like you. I’m not going to Delhi to hold someone’s leg (and plead to be let off cases), or to ask the governor not to give permission. Telangana has suffered a lot in the last 10 years. The BJP is not giving funds to the state from the party treasury, it’s given from the central government treasury. The government will get funds only when we go and meet the Union ministers without showing political bias,” he said, adding that “this is not the time to show anger and resentment against someone”.

Reddy is likely to meet Rahul Gandhi and invite him to the inauguration of Telangana Thalli (mother) statue at the state secretariat on December 9 – the day that Reddy’s government completes one year of being in power.