No vacancy for chief minister’s post in Telangana

HYDERABAD: Telangana is going for early elections with the state assembly being dissolved nine months ahead of its actual term. It is a calculated risk by the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), as Opposition parties are gearing up to form a grand alliance with the sole agenda of dethroning TRS president and chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao. In an exclusive interview to

K T Rama Rao, tipped to be the chief minister-in-waiting, says the federal front proposed by his father might be on the backburner at least for now, but the TRS would continue its efforts in that direction after 2019 elections. Edited excerpts:

Srinivasa Rao Apparasu,

advance. In fact, the opposition should be happier to face elections early, as it will give them a chance to come to power ahead of schedule. There is absolutely no comparison between the two. While a grand alliance is purely opportunistic aimed at dislodging the KCR government, the federal front we had proposed was aimed at bringing a qualitative change in the lives of people in the country... We are looking to set an agenda for good governance in the country. It is not correct. We voted for the BJP’S candidate in the Presidential elections because, as a matter of principle, we wanted to support a Dalit candidate. We supported the BJP’S candidate for the Vice-president’s post because he was a Telugu man. We did not support the BJP in the Rajya Sabha deputy chairman elections but voted for the JD (U) candidate, as he had requested our support. We supported the demonetization and GST because we sincerely believed that they were good for the country. In the no-confidence motion, we did not vote for the BJP but abstained. So, where was the case in which we supported the BJP? As far as surveys are concerned, let them say what they believe and we will do what we have to.