Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao. PTI file photo
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and his party members will turn coolies to collect funds for the Telangana Rashtra Samithi party foundation day celebrations, to be held in Warangal on April 27.
Rao had donned the role of a coolie during the decade-long agitation for a separate Telangana state to meet the expenses of a prolonged battle.
Declaring April 14 to 20 as “Pink (party colour) Coolie Days,” the chief minister has said that he would take up work for two days, mostly in Torrur of Warangal.
“I will take up work on two days and I would like all the 75-lakh party members to take up work and collect funds for the function,” Rao said at his camp office.
The chief minister said that party workers can choose any work in their respective areas, such as agriculture work or manual labour. Funds will be used to meet travel and food expenses. “This has been our tradition and we will follow it whether in power or not,” Rao said.
“The effort is to bring together all party workers in the name of labour for party fund. We want to keep the fervour that was present at the time of the agitation alive,” said state Power Minister Jagadeeswar Reddy.
A source in the party said the TRS would be among the top three parties in the country. The party has 75 lakh members for a population of 3.5 cr and gets around Rs 25 crore through membership fee.
The party will also hold its plenary on April 21 where Rao will be re-elected party president. Rao has been the president of the party since its inception in 2001.