CM likely to dissolve Telangana assembly, call for early election

hyderabad — A crucial meeting of the Telangana cabinet is likely to be held on Thursday to recommend dissolution of the state assembly to pave way for early polls.

Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has asked his cabinet colleagues to be available at 6am on September 6 for the cabinet meeting, according to sources in the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS).

The TRS chief considers ‘6’ as his lucky number and that’s the reason cited for not taking the decision during the cabinet meeting on September 2, which was held hours before the massive public meeting by the ruling party to sound the poll bugle.

The cabinet is expected to pass a resolution recommending to Governor E. S.L. Narasimhan to dissolve the assembly. The term of the assembly is till May, 2019 and the elections in normal course have to be conducted along with the polls for Lok Sabha.

On the eve of the cabinet meeting, the state capital on Wednesday

witnessed hectic activity in the political circle. Chief Secretary S.K. Joshi, chief advisor to government Rajiv Sharma, principal secretary to the chief minister, S. Narsing Rao and Legislative Assembly Secretary Narasimhacharyulu called on Narasimhan on Wednesday.

KCR also had a series of meetings with top party leaders.

A day after recommending dissolution of assembly, KCR will be launching the election campaign with a public meeting at Husnabad in Siddipet district on September 7.

Christened ‘Prajala Aasirwada Sabha’, this will be the first of 100 public meetings planned by TRS over next 50 days.

Political observers say TRS is keen for early assembly elections as it believes that simultaneous elections to assembly and Lok Sabha may not help it in properly highlighting the welfare and development works undertaken during last four years.

The political circle has been abuzz with the talks of early polls for the last few weeks with KCR himself giving strong hints with his two meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in August, announcement of sops for various sections of people and transfer of top police and civil officials.

There was strong possibility of a decision in the cabinet meeting before September 2 public meeting, attended by lakhs of people and claimed to be mother of all rallies.

While the cabinet took no decision, KCR kept the suspense by telling the party cadres that the party leaders have empowered him to take a decision and that they would soon hear it (decision on early polls). At the public meeting, the TRS chief highlighted the achievements of his government since it took reins in the newly created state in 2014.

He sought fresh mandate to continue the good work and achieve the goal of ‘Bangaru Telangana’ or golden Telangana. He urged people to protect their ‘self-respect’ by rejecting the parties from Delhi who want to make them slaves. —