KTR emerges most powerful
TRS working president and municipal administration and IT minister K.T. Rama Rao, has become the key person in the government and party. All government and party programmes are conducted under his leadership.
TRS president and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has given his son total responsibility in conducting programmes and is not generally involved.
He was prominent person in the 10-day Pattana Pragathi programme which concluded on Wednesday, and the Palle Pragathi programme conducted last month.
He has been successful in pulling in votes too. In the local body elections, including the recent cooperative elections, he played a crucial role in the TRS’s winning spree. He held teleconferences daily with lower rung party leaders and workers to coordinate them.
It is largely due to his efforts that the TRS has created a record by winning all the zilla parishads, district cooperative central banks (DCCBs) and district cooperative marketing societies (DCMS). In some municipalities there are no opposition members. This is a record not only for Telangana state but even before, in the combined Andhra Pradesh. No political party thus far had won all the Zilla Parishads, DCCBs and
DCMSs in the state.
In the government Mr Rama Rao is taking the lead in attacking the Central government on several issues. When Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the details of funds released by the centre to Telangana state, Mr Rama Rao countered her. He has been to Delhi to meet Union ministers to discuss pending issues.
Mr Rama Rao is also very active on social media and responds to issues relating to the state government.
Recently, in the Narayana Residential College student Sandhya Rani’s suicide, when a constable kicked the father of Sandhya Rani, the video of it went viral and Mr Rama Rao condemned the incident and said on social media that he would bring it to the notice of the state’s home minister. The next day, the constable was suspended.
When the CM is not available to party leaders and cadre who may want to narrate their grievances or request a nominated post, it is Mr Rama Rao who steps in. In the Assembly budget session scheduled to start on March 6, he will be the centre of attention.
● When the CM is not available to party leaders and cadre who may want to narrate their grievances or request a nominated post, it is Mr Rama Rao who steps in.