Telangana: CM KCR may yet spring a surprise

HYDERABAD: While elections for the Telangana Assembly are due by the end of the year, BRS supremo K Chandrasekhar Rao may spring a surprise by going for early polls, believe party insiders.
The reasons they cite for this are compelling enough to lend an ear.

First of all, early polls would leave both the main rival parties in the State – the Congress and the BJP –  off guard and struggling to catch up, as they are woefully unprepared to face the electorate at this point in time. BRS insiders say that KCR is keen to be known as ‘Jyoti Basu of the South’ by achieving what very few others had done earlier –  score a hat-trick of poll victories, and hopefully go on to win six successive elections.

They also say that by opting for early elections, KCR would have enough time on hand to devote its energies to the expansion of the BRS. Going for elections as scheduled in the State would give him less than six months to focus on national politics if he wants to make a mark in the 2024 General Elections.  

However, going for early elections would mean that the Opposition parties may well raise uncomfortable questions regarding the raids and searches by Central investigative agencies into top-level State leaders.
Also, if KCR indeed moves to national politics, the question of his successor in the State is something that no BRS leader is keen to answer.