TRS to cash in on KCR’s popularity during polls

Survey finds that no leader in Opposition is as popular as CM

The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) will prepare a ‘KCR-centric campaign’ for the ensuing Assembly elections to counter Opposition parties.

Surveys carried out by independent agencies have revealed that TRS president and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao enjoyed more popularity among the people than the welfare schemes implemented by the state government over the past four years.

The surveys indicated that no other leader in any Opposition party at the moment matched the popularity and oratory skills of Mr Rao and the TRS wanted to utilise this to the maximum possible extent.

Mr Rao had roped in six independent survey agencies to get feedback on the performance of the TRS government, ministers, MLAs, implementation of welfare schemes and the level of satisfaction of the people.

The agencies have submitted reports to the CM every three months. He wanted to select the candidates for Assembly seats, devise the party's campaign strategy based on the results of the survey.

The CM had been highlighting a slew of welfare schemes to win voters for the past four years stating that the TRS government remained the only one in the country to spend over `40,000 crore per year on 40-plus welfare schemes.

Surprisingly, the survey results found that people were more impressed by leadership qualities, popularity and oratory of the CM than his welfare schemes.

Based on these results, the party wants to take up a 'KCR-centric campaign' for the Assembly polls.

Last week, KCR had hinted at going for early Assembly polls in Telangana in December against the original schedule of April 2019.

He said that TRS would declare the Assembly candidates in September. Since then, he has been holding a series of meetings with senior leaders and strategists to devise the party's poll strategy.

TRS party sources informed that the surveys found that people were comparing top leaders in Opposition parties, especially Congress with the leadership qualities and popularity of KCR and felt that KCR was far superior to them.