KTR taking over as Telangana CM likely to be discussed in TRS executive meeting

The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) will be holding its executive meeting on Saturday in its party headquarters, Telangana Bhavan in Hyderabad. In the meeting which is being attended by MPs, MLAs and MLCs and several other functionaries, a discussion on the elevation of TRS working president KT Rama Rao as the next Chief Minister is likely to happen. In the past few days, there has been a growing clamour that KTR could take over as the Chief Minister.

Senior party leaders like T Padma Rao Goud and Eatala Rajender have openly endorsed the candidature of KTR taking over the mantle from his father and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao. At a public event held in January, in which KTR participated, Deputy Speaker Padma Rao congratulated him as the “would-be Chief Minister.” 

Similarly, Eatala, when questioned about KTR replacing his father in all government programmes, said that the latter was equipped to handle responsibilities of the Chief Minister.  

The meeting is set to take place at 2 pm. The agenda for the meeting is the status of party membership and giving new responsibilities to party leaders. The party will also discuss its losses in the Dubbaka bye-poll and the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) Election. 

In the intensely fought Hyderabad municipal election held in December 2020, the BJP made a massive gain by winning 48 seats out of the 150 seats while the TRS’ tally came down to 56 from 88.

Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has also sounded a poll bugle in Nagarjuna Sagar Assembly constituency. Though the Election Commission has not issued a poll notification, the CM had decided to address a public meeting in Halia on February 10. The constituency will be soon going for a bye-poll due to the demise of the sitting legislator Nomula Narasimhaiah. 

Meanwhile, the BJP which is on a high after its consecutive electoral victories, said that KCR was “rattled” by the party’s growth. BJP state spokesperson Krishna Saagar Rao said, “BJP has rattled KCR so much that he has started his bye-election campaign in Nagarjuna Sagar two months ahead of the notification of the election. The fear of loss is visible to all.”

Krishna Saagar claimed that the damage control exercise of KCR will yield no positive results. Course correction at this stage is not possible, he said, adding, “KCR has let down, and failed both the state and his party, as Chief Minister and party president. BJP foresees a spectacular electoral victory both in Nagarjuna Sagar bye-election and the forthcoming MLC elections.”