india

Updated: Dec 14, 2018 18:15 IST

In a sudden and swift development, Telangana Rashtra Samithi president and chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Friday anointed his son and Siricilla MLA K T Rama Rao as the working president of the party.

The development comes within three days of the TRS returning to power in the state and less than a day of KCR taking oath as the chief minister for a second successive term.

The appointment of KTR was announced hours before the executive committee meeting of the TRS held at Telangana Bhavan later in the afternoon. It is for the first time in the 14-year history of the TRS that the post of a working president has been created, as all these years, only KCR had been running the party single-handedly.

The move is believed to be the first step towards KCR handing over his baton to his son in the coming months, while he would focus on national politics. The chief minister is planning to step up his efforts to form a federal front of non-BJP, non-Congress regional parties before 2019 Lok Sabha election. He has announced that he would unveil his strategy for the national politics within a week.

KTR who attended the TRS executive committee meeting along with his father, was flooded with greetings from the party functionaries. Addressing the meeting, KCR said since he would be playing a bigger role in the national politics, his son would concentrate on the party activities in the state hereafter.

“From tomorrow, KTR will be available to you for all the party needs and he will dedicate his full time for the party and bring about a coordination between the party and the government,” he said.

The TRS chief called upon the party leaders to gear up to face the forthcoming general elections to Lok Sabha. “We shall appoint an in-charge for every Parliamentary constituency to oversee the electioneering of the party,” he said.

Political analyst and former Osmania University professor K Nageshwar said the development was a clear indication to the elevation of KTR as KCR’s successor in power as well.

“There is a possibility that KCR will contest the Lok Sabha elections and move to Delhi to focus on national politics, while anointing KTR as the next chief minister. I don’t think there will be any resistance to KTR becoming the chief minister. Nobody will even raise his voice, given the massive mandate the party had got in the recent assembly elections,” he said.

An official communique from CMO said in the morning that the chief minister took the decision to appoint KTR as working president, as the former would be focusing full time on bringing a qualitative change in national politics.

“At the same time, KCR has the responsibility to fulfil the election promises including completion of ongoing irrigation projects. So, he has decided to entrust the responsibility of running the party to his son KTR, who is his close confidant and the most efficient leader,” the statement said.

KTR has been entrusted with the responsibility of strengthening the party organization from the grassroots level by stepping up membership drive and construction of party offices at the district level.

“The chief minister is aiming at transforming the TRS into a powerful party in the entire country. And there is no better person than KTR, who successfully handled his role both in the party as well government till now, he has entrusted the responsibilities of the party to KTR, who is his trusted lieutenant,” he said.

Several TRS leaders congratulated KTR on his elevation as the party working president. KCR’s nephew T Harish Rao, who had hitherto been the right hand of KCR, also wished KTR all the best.

“Both of us worked together in the elections and we shall continue to work together. I will extend all possible support to him in all his future activities,” Harish Rao said after meeting KTR.