India
KT Rama Rao, who served as IT and Industries minister in the previous TRS government was appointed working president of the TRS to manage state affairs as K Chandrashekhar Rao, party chief, takes a step ahead in forming a third-front. But, is the third-front just a front with the BJP at the helm of affairs?
Hyderabad: Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) president K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) on Friday named his son KT Rama Rao (KTR) as the party's working president, virtually anointing him as his successor while making clear his intention to concentrate more on national politics.
KT Rama Rao, who served as IT and Industries minister in the previous TRS government, is seen to have played a key role in the party's thumping win in the recent Telangana Assembly polls and the move indicates his growing influence in the party.
The 42-year-old leader is expected to be inducted into the Cabinet in its next expansion. The TRS president took over as the chief minister for a second term on Thursday and only one minister, Mohammed Mehmood Ali, took oath along with him.
KT Rama Rao's appointment was necessitated as Chandrasekhar Rao will have to concentrate on national politics and focus on various developmental activities in the state, a release from the chief minister's office said on Friday.
"KCR has decided to concentrate more time on national politics to bring a qualitative change in the national politics,” the release stated.
Soon after the results were announced, KCR declared that the TRS would play a crucial role in national politics. He has been pitching for a non-Congress, non-BJP federal front of regional parties to take on the two national parties.
But could KCR’s decision to focus on national politics be an indicator of a BJP alliance in the Lok Sabha elections? Considering his silence on key issues like demonetisation and GST, KCR, for long, has been considered as the B-team of BJP, according to the Congress.
Speaking to MyNation, political analyst Sriram Karri said, “He is a rare politician in Indian politics whose far from going to people to give a record of his work seeks them to give a test of loyalty - with resignations and early elections being part of his armoury. It would be underestimating him to see his moves narrowly as being partnered with Modi or not.” KCR has been one of those politicians, who was noted for dissolving the Assembly six months in advance, only to ensure he could align with the BJP, for Lok Sabha without disturbing the Muslim votes, say other analysts.
“He would like to build a coalition of leaders across states and become their spokesperson in a way as to remain open to doing business with both UPA and NDA,” Karri said.
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