Win municipal polls or face axe, K Chandrasekhar Rao warns ministers

HYDERABAD: Telangana Rashtra Samiti president and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao cautioned his ministers that they could lose their berths in the Cabinet if the party loses any of the municipalities or corporations in their respective districts in the ensuing municipal elections.

Mr Rao delivered the warning at the party’s extended executive committee meeting held in Telangana Bhavan on Saturday.

TRS sources revealed that Mr Rao asked the ministers to take up extensive and vigorous campaigns wherever they felt it necessary, even though internal surveys carried out by the party indicate that people are supporting the TRS.

The Chief Minister exuded confidence of winning 120 municipalities and 10 municipal corporations in the ensuing elections.

Sources said Mr Rao told party leaders that they should not be under wrong notions that the BJP will be a strong contender against the TRS. The saffron party is no competitor to the TRS in the urban local body polls, he underlined.

The party chief made it clear that the MLAs will be issuing party tickets to those aspiring to contest on behalf of the TRS. At the same time, it will be the job of the MLAs to pacify rebel candidates, if any.
Sources disclosed that the Chief Minister inquired into the reported brawl between labour minister C. Malla Reddy and former MLA Sudheer Reddy during the preparatory meeting for elections in Medchal. He spoke to the former MLA about the reasons for discord. Subsequently, the CM censured both the leaders, asking them to not indulge in such acts in future, that too in front of the party workers and in public.

Mr Rao handed over details of welfare and development programmes taken up by the state government in respective municipalities and corporations in pen drives to the respective MLAs.

He made it clear that once the party finalises candidates, all leaders and workers shall work together for victory of that candidate in their respective areas.

It is learnt that transport minister Puvvada Ajay Kumar got angry with security personnel at Telangana Bhavan whey they stopped him at the entrance for frisking. The minister said he would take up the issue with the Chief Minister.