Opinion:
KCR's plunge into national politics: Will he make the cut?
With the muhurtham fixed on
the auspicious Dasara day October 5 at 1.19 pm, all eyes are on the Chief
Minister's announcement and his shift to national politics.
09:30:52 am - Oct 04, 2022 | C R
Gowri Shanker
Hyderabad: It will be Dasara cum Deepavali on October 5 as Chief Minister and TRS supremo K Chandrasekhar Rao takes a long-announced plunge into national politics!
With the muhurtham fixed on the
auspicious Dasara day October 5 at 1.19 pm, all eyes are on the Chief
Minister's announcement and his shift to national politics.
TRS has
planned massive fireworks show across Telangana after the announcement by KCR,
giving a touch of early Deepavali.
Highly placed sources told "Newsmeter" that the Chief Minister summoned all Ministers, MPs, MLAs, MLCs, DCCB chairpersons, DCMS chairpersons, corporation chairpersons---entire TRS general body--- to be present sharply at Telangana Bhavan—the TRS headquarters at Banjara Hills at 1.19 pm for the launch of a national political party and foray into national politics with the sole motive of communal amity, farmers welfare and end the "demon" rule of BJP led NDA government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
In fact,
some TRS leaders are puzzled and scared at the repeated reminders from party
headquarters to make sure their presence on October 5 so much so that some even
think that KCR may dissolve the Assembly and go for early elections in view of
the announcement of Munugode poll schedule and elections on November 3!
The defeat
of TRS in Dubbak, Huzurabad, and losing 40-plus seats in GHMC has unnerved TRS
leadership. With Munugode bye polls, pressure is on TRS to show its mettle once
again. A win or loss will certainly impact the ruling TRS in the coming general
elections.
"I
haven't seen so many reminders to party leaders to attend the launch of the TRS
national party. Known for surprises, some fear he may dissolve the assembly
though he and other senior party leaders have refuted rumors in the past,"
a senior TRS leader told NewsMeter.
From
Telangana Bhavan, KCR will return to Pragathi Bhavan and have lunch with all
the party leaders whose approval he had sought for going national!
Interestingly,
no State or national party has come out openly to join his national party,
which is more renaming of Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) into Bharat or
Bharatiya Rashtra Samithi or any other nomenclature to be announced on the
auspicious Dasara day.
Even
before the launch, KCR came in for a sharp rebuke from rivals including Union
Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy. "It's nothing but an attempt to divert
the attention of people of Telangana from TRS government failures and misrule.
There will be little that KCR can achieve other than his family members
daydreaming about ruling the country, "he remarked.
He
added," Many national parties have come and gone some without having a
single seat in parliament. Rao has only one close ally in AIMIM which he wants
to help gain strength in the country," he alleged.
KCR, who had been dilly-dallying on the launch of the national party finally held a series of meetings with leaders of various political parties, his close confidants, party leaders, journalists, and others and finally set October 5 as D Day.
Party
leaders, though clueless about the shape of the new party, assert that it will
be more renaming of the party from Telangana Rastra Samithi with a national
tag…replace Telangana with Bharat!
"KCR
has to prove his mettle in the general elections and if he wins sufficient
seats nationally as per Election Commission norms, he will get the national
party tag. And he has to sustain or else lose national identity," another
senior party leader explained.
Chief
Minister KCR had supported BJP all through since the formation of Telangana. He
had supported all major bills including farm laws.
But when
BJP set eyes on Telangana State in 2017 to capture power, the relationship
soured. Defeat in Dubbak, Huzurabad, and loss in GHMC elections has shocked KCR
and found BJP a major threat to his TRS. This led to his severe attacks on
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and the BJP.
With KCR's
national foray imminent, all eyes are on whether he would continue as Chief
Minister or hand over the mantle to his son and IT, Municipal Administration
Minister K T Rama Rao, or anyone else.
"I
don't think he would commit the mistake of UP strongman Mulayam Singh Yadav and
hands over CM gaddi to son right now. Minus CM he will have no weight to throw
around in the country or mobilize support for his party," a senior TRS
leader told Newsmeter.
But KCR
did hint that the time has come for the younger generation to take over a key
role in State politics. But shrewd, KCR did not name who?
When there
were rumors agog and a concerted planned chorus to make KTR CM, he snubbed
party leaders that he would remain CM for the next 10 years in February last
year!
"I am
in the pink of health and will continue in the Chief Minister's post for the
next 10 years. Don't make unwarranted comments on the issue or indulge in
speculation," he said while addressing TRS State executive committee
meeting at Telangana Bhavan.
With sufficient party funds at
this disposal, a plane, and support from some smaller parties, KCR will zoom
into national politics and meet leaders to join him in his crusade against
Narendra Modi-led BJP at the Centre.
Former
TSPSC member and once a close aide of KCR, C Vittal, who joined BJP, asserts,
KCR will face the same fate as Telugu Desam supremo N Chandrababu Naidu who
tried his hand at national politics, but failed. "He will face Chandrababu
Naidu's fate. Also, he has distanced all those who supported him during the
Telangana movement. Ignored sacrifices of youth," he says.
Another
former Congress MLA Dr. S A Sampath Kumar finds TRS-BJP two sides of the coin!
Going by
the KCR's penchant for taking risks like the Telangana movement in 2001, which
ultimately led to the carving of a new State, his dream of making it to
national politics—making a non-BJP and non-Congress—group too is a risky
venture. Whether he will succeed or not, time will tell.
Whatever
may be the outcome of KCR's foray into national politics, the country will
certainly have political entertainment till the next general elections!
KCR
Political Journey
--Launch
of TRS and Telangana movement on April 27, 2001, to create separate Telangana
State bifurcating Andhra Pradesh
--Mass
movement across Telangana, over 1000 dead
--Formation
of Telangana State on June 2, 2014, by Congress-led UPA government at the
Centre and BJP
--June 2,
2014--- KCR-led TRS wins polls and takes oath as first Chief Minister of newly
carved Telangana State
--KCR-led
TRS wins 2018 assembly polls again, KCR becomes CM for the second time
--Oct 5,
2022---KCR to plunge into national politics, launch national party
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