Telangana’s KCR Launches National Party, Embarks on New Journey
HYDERABAD, (IANS) – From a party formed to fight injustice against a region to achieving its goal of Telangana statehood to now setting its sights on the national political horizon, the TRS under K. Chandrasekhar Rao is set to embark on a new journey.
After toying with the idea of forging a national front of like-minded parties for long, a series of visits to various states, and multiple rounds of talks with other regional satraps, KCR, as Rao is popularly called, has finally taken a plunge into national politics.
After its existence as the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) for over 21 years, the regional party turned national on October 5 with the party’s general body meeting chaired by KCR unanimously resolving to change its name to the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS).
With his eyes set on 2024 Lok Sabha polls, KCR aims to re-write the history of Indian politics just as he changed the face of Andhra Pradesh politics by floating the TRS in 2001 to revive the movement for statehood to Telangana.
Highlighting the injustices meted out to Telangana by the rulers in the then undivided Andhra Pradesh, he single-handedly revived the movement and made ‘Jai Telangana’ a household slogan.
Stressing on the need for self-rule to change the destiny of Telangana, KCR carved a niche for himself in history by achieving the goal of a separate Telangana state when many had given up the idea after the failure of the movement in 1969.
After near two terms of power in the country’s youngest state and leading the state on the path of progress with innovative schemes and welfare measures, KCR is now looking to replicate the ‘Telangana model’ across the country.
Political analysts say KCR will be looking to bring together opposition parties on a common platform to achieve his goal of defeating the BJP in 2024 polls.
KCR had long been talking of a front of like-minded parties as an alternative to the BJP and the Congress for he believes that both the national parties have failed to govern the country and address the basic problems of the people even after 75 years of Independence.
He has been trying to project Telangana as a role model for the entire country with his ambitious programs and revolutionary welfare and development programs.
Many see in him a regional satrap who has all the qualities required to bring together parties with different ideologies and lead the front.
He converted a dry and arid region like Telangana into a green zone. His pet projects like Mission Kakatiya, Mission Bhagiratha, along with the most ambitious Kaleshwaram project, breathed life into otherwise failing agriculture in the region.
As the series of electoral victories of TRS over the last eight years show, he is a leader well connected with the masses.
A graduate in Arts, KCR is known for his oratory skills and delivers speeches laced with sarcasm in his inimitable style to target his rivals. He has been Vice President of Youth Congress and then joined the TDP floated by popular actor N.T. Rama Rao. He was elected in 1985 and since then, never lost an election.
After the massive victory in the 2018 Assembly elections, KCR appointed his son K.T. Rama Rao as the Working President of the TRS so that he can focus on national politics.KCR was even being seen as the potential prime ministerial candidate by his party in the event of regional parties emerging as a major bloc in the Lok Sabha. However, BJP returning to power at the Centre with a big majority shattered his dream.
Over the last one year, KCR has sharpened his attacks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and found fault with his policies on all fronts.
The Centre failing to fulfill commitments made to Telangana at the formation of the state, its bias towards the state in sanctioning new projects and release of funds and the curbs imposed on the state over raising of debts further angered KCR, who finally reached to a conclusion that the best way to safeguard the state’s interests is to go national and directly take on Modi.
