It’s time to see Statesman K Chandrasekhar Rao

He has made it a point to meet the country’s top businessmen and talk serious business with them.

Now, faced with the prospect of some of the powers of his government being handed over to the Governor, it is time for the Chief Minister to show that he has grown into a statesman. He has to rise above the temptation to respond like the leader of an agitation.

As a leader, Mr Rao has not wasted a day, simultaneously taking up multi-pronged strategies not only to put the state back on the development path but also to fight the political battle in order to consolidate the TRS.

Mr Rao has continued with his policy of branding other political parties and leaders as “anti-Telangana” or accusing them of not cooperating with him and, finally, taking on the potent political combination of Narendra Modi-Chandrababu Naidu.

By taking a vocal hard line, or resorting to agitational politics, Mr Rao could be undoing the good work of these past few weeks. Investors or for the matter any citizen would prefer peace and stability to agitations.

For the development of the state, Mr Rao does need the help of his political rivals, like Mr Modi. And for that, he needs to rise above politics.

To be sure, Mr Rao has riled even pro-Telangana parties like the BJP and the CPI by trying to weaken them in the state. The BJP sees a communal agenda behind some of Mr Rao’s recent decisions. The TD, a coalition partner of the BJP and the ruling party in the neighbouring state, is taking him on. Mr Rao is targeting the Congress, which could not benefit from creating Telangana, for easy pickings.

For example, Mr Rao called for a bandh to protest the ordinance to include the seven mandals of Bhadrachalam division into AP, and ensured it was successful. However, he could not muster the support of other state parties, reconciled as they were to the ordinance. Mr Rao however did succeed in bringing focus on the fact that Seemandhra leaders were behind the ordinance. He got an Assembly resolution passed against the ordinance, but nothing has happened further.

Similarly on the powers of the Governor in the common capital area of Hyderabad also, Mr Rao calling the Prime Minister a “fascist’ and declaring “war” on the Centre has not gone down well among the parties.

The fact remains that the bifurcation Bill was passed by Parliament and the Act provides special responsibilities to the Governor and it was all done by the UPA government when Mr Rao was a member of Parliament.

State BJP president G. Kishan Reddy pointed out as much: “When Narendra Modi was Gujarat Chief Minister, the AP Reorganisation Bill was passed. It was done by the UPA and KCR was a member of the Lok Sabha then. He never raised his concerns then, and went and congratulated Congress president Sonia Gandhi.”

Mr Kishan Reddy said, “Let us admit he has a genuine grievance on the Governor’s role. He could have met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and sought amendments, his party MPs could have moved a Bill seeking amendments. Without doing that and calling Mr Modi a fascist is most unwarranted.”

“Being a Chief Minister, it is his responsibility to seek redressal. The NDA is not responsible,” the Telangana BJP president said.

Telangana Congress president Ponnala Lakshmaiah largely agreed. “It is a fact that the Bill was brought by us and the relevant sections were incorporated then. But KCR was silent and even thanked Soniaji,” Mr Lakshmaiah said.

“If at all there are any objections now, he should have taken up the matter with the Prime Minister,” the TPCC president said.

Mr Lakshmaiah pointed out that Mr Rao had announced that he would take everyone alone, and he would lead an all-party delegation to Delhi.

“What happened to all these assurances? Why did he not go to Delhi when the first communication came from the home ministry? What were his MPs doing? If he wants our support, let him organise an all party meeting first and discuss the issue. Without that he cannot blame anybody.”