KCR in Delhi; to discuss paddy procurement

Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao on Sunday evening left for New Delhi aboard a special flight, accompanied by his wife Shobha Rao, and daughter and MLC K. Kavitha, among others. While the Chief Minister’s Office did not release any information on his visit to the national capital because it was a private visit, it is learnt that the primary reason for the visit is related to some health check-ups.

Though the Chief Minister and his family were to visit New Delhi a few days ago, that trip was put off. During the current visit, the Chief Minister is expected to hold a meeting with TRS MPs and give them directions on how to go about highlighting various issues on which the TRS government has been contesting with the Centre including paddy procurement and caste wise census among other things.

The TRS leadership has already called for protests in the national capital on April 11 on the paddy procurement and other issues. It is learnt that during his Delhi visit, the Chief Minister is not expected to meet Union minister for food and public distribution Piyush Goyal with whom the TRS MPs and party leaders here in the state have been running battle of words of paddy procurement.

However, sources said an appointment had been sought with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and it remained to be seen if the request would be approved by the Prime Minister’s Office. There is speculation that Chandrashekar Rao could meet Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav during this trip and discuss unity among non-BJP parties as part of the efforts to dethrone the BJP from power in the country.

The CMO, meanwhile, also did not reveal any information on the likely duration of Chandrashekar Rao’s visit to Delhi.