As Opp goes for KCR’s jugular TRS assesses Sunday rally’s impact

A day after the mammoth rally at Kongara Kalan, as party workers were busy in collecting the garbage and cleaning the venue of “Pragati Nivedana Sabha” at Kongara Kalan,  the leadership of the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samiti was busy in assessing the impact of what it billed as “the biggest-ever political event in India’s history”.

While it was not possible to get a correct estimate of how many people turned up at the event on Sunday, it could not have been 25 lakh as the TRS leaders were expecting in the run-up to the event. At the same time the claim of the Opposition Congress that the crowd was only between 2.5 lakh and 3.5 lakh was a clear case of underestimate.

Leaving aside the exact size of the gathering- which like in case of any other political rally was mobilized by distributing money, food and liquor- there were many other indications that everything did not go according to the plan for the ruling party.

While many leaders of TRS put a brave front declaring the rally a huge success, sources said that party supremo and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao was not happy with the way things turned out.

KCR’s unhappiness could be read in to his strikingly subdued speech at the rally with every body feeling the lack of KCR’s characteristic  punches, energy, sarcasm and emotion. “Even a clear cut message was also missing. It was not clear what exactly he wanted from the people”, said one observer and old time watcher of KCR.

While Congress clearly remains the main rival and challenger for the TRS, surprisingly KCR avoided naming it and used “Delhi Empire” to target it and relied more on the Telangana emotions and self respect to pit regional party vs the “Delhi parties”.

As the main focus at the rally was on whether KCR will opt for an early elections to the state assembly, he did not break the end saying a decision will be taken in the coming days keeping in view the interest of the state, its people and TRS.

Another noteworthy feature was that the day clealry belonged to K Taraka Rama Rao, KCR’s son and Number two in the cabinet and the event was meant to promote him. He was in the forefront in promoting it and also making arrangements on the ground. After KCR his was the most visible face on the hoardings and cut outs. Conversely T Harish Rao, nephew of KCR and another important minister was sidelined and he kept a low profile at the event. Though KCR mentioned him in his speech for his work at irrigation minister the message was clear that KTR will be the heir to KCR throne.

Many party insiders say that Harish Rao factor was also at work if the turn out at the event was not upto the expectations as he was seen as a better organizer than KTR.

Despite having a sizeable gathering in the event if there was a lack of elation among the party leaders, they say the blame lies with KCR’s children MP Kavitha who created a lot of hype and expectations by publicly setting a target of 25 lakhs.

If KCR had hoped to create an aura of invincibility about himself, project a confident and united face of the TRS and send a message to Congress that its game was already up, he could not succeed.

Opposition parties including Telugu Desam, BJP and Telangana Jana Samiti of Kodandaram  on Monday went all out to target TRS and KCR and described the rally a flop show.

Telaganan Congress Committee president N Uttam Kumar Reddy said, “Pragati Nivedana Sabha (progress repore rally) turned out to be Aavedana Sabha (People’s Anguish rally”.

In a counter attack on KCR he demanded to know what happened to his promise of providing jobs to one lakh youth. “This was nothing but a show organized with public money and by mobilizing the vehicles with the help of motor vehicle inspectors and by pressurizing the managements of schools and colleges”, he said.

Another senior Congress leader DK Aruna said that less than 2.5 lakh people turned up at the rally. “It was a flow show as the people came for picnic and went back. It proved that people had rejected KCR and he now realized that if early elections were held he will lose”.

State BJP President K Lakshman said that despite TRS spending hundreds of crores on the event it turned out to be a flop show. “KCR was hoping to declare his son KTR his heir”, he said. “There was no direction in KCR’s speech”, he said adding that if early elections were held TRS’s defeat was certain.

State TDP President L Ramanna said that not even five lakh people attended the rally. KCR was trying to mislead people and somehow come to power for second term, he said. “From his speech KCR looked like a player who admitted his defeat even before the start of the game”, said Kodandaram, the president of Telangana Jana Samiti.