HYDERABAD: In a day of hectic developments, some unexpected and some anticipated, chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Thursday recommended the dissolution of the Telangana assembly, eight months before the expiry of its term, based on the resolution passed by the council of ministers.
KCR later told media persons that it was because of the ‘political fragility’ in the state and ‘unlimited idiocy of the Congress’ he chose to opt for early polls. The CM said that he has already consulted the Election Commission on the issue and expressed the confidence that the
Telangana Assembly elections too will be held in November-end along with that of the polls to Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Mizoram. TOI had reported in its columns that KCR would be dissolving the House on September 6, a date considered lucky for him.
KCR said he himself would return as chief minister after the next elections as the TRS was certain to win 100 seats and described the MIM as a friendly party.
After the cabinet meeting in the afternoon, he drove to Raj Bhavan where he presented the resolution to governor E S L Narasimhan. A Raj Bhavan communique said the governor, while accepting the recommendation of the the council of ministers, requested Chandrasekhar Rao and his ministers to continue in office as caretaker government and KCR agreed to this request.
KCR stumped the opposition Congress, announcing a list of 105 TRS candidates.
‘Caretaker CM not in statute vocab, but won’t cross limits’
Because of the day in and day out criticism by the Congress, there is a chance of development being affected. It is in the interest of the state that I have chosen to make a sacrifice of the remainder of our term. The elections will teach a lesson to the Congress and we will go ahead with the development agenda of the state,” he said at a press conference later explaining why he had opted for advancing the polls.
When asked at a press conference later at the Telangana Bhavan, the TRS party headquarters, KCR said there would be no curtailing of his powers as caretaker chief minister. “In fact, there is no such term as caretaker chief minister in the Constitution but I will not cross boundaries or limitations,” he said. In the same breath, he said in his capacity as TRS president, he will announce the manifesto of the party for which there will be no restrictions.
There was speculation about KCR calling for early polls right from August 14 when he announced that the TRS would organise a huge public meeting on September 2 and that he would also announce the list of TRS candidates for the next polls. After this, a number of transfers of IAS, IPS, police and other officials were effected, which indicated the possibility of KCR wanting to advance the polls. KCR thanked TRS ministers and MLAs for giving him complete support in the plan for dissolution of the assembly.
KCR had spoken to the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners on phone about holding of the polls. “We have done our spade work. We are certain elections will be held along with four other states in November/December,” he said. He said chief secretary S K Joshi had also met the CEC and government’s advisor Rajiv Sharma has also consulted EC officials.
