K. Chandrasekhar Rao eyes Delhi durbar, contests for Lok Sabha

Hyderabad: In a strategic move, TRS supremo K. Chandrasekhar Rao has decided to contest from the Medak Lok Sabha constituency.

Mr Rao is also in the field for the Gajwel Assembly seat, which falls in Medak district.

Mr Rao has set his eyes on the Chief Minister’s gaddi in the new Telangana state. If he wins the majority of Assembly seats, he plans to stay put in the state. If not, he will go to Parliament again.

Mr Rao took the calculated risk in going it alone in the elections after refusing to merge the party with the Congress or even ally with it. He also spurned a CPI invitation for an alliance.

Party source said Mr Rao’s confidence stemmed from the outcome of three independent surveys which he had commissioned; these surveys showed the TRS winning between 65 and 70 out of 119 Assembly seats and 14 of 17 Lok Sabha seats in Telangana.

“We are confident of getting an absolute majority,” said TRS secretary-general K. Kesava Rao.

However, Opposition parties contend that the TRS will end up with 40-45 seats and that the party faces a tough challenge from the Congress.

The party is learnt to have kept its options open for a post-poll alliance with the Congress and the MIM.