Hyderabad: An intense debate is raging within the ruling Telangana Rastra Samithi over the elevation of IT minister K.T. Rama Rao as the working president of the party, even as the TRS party plenary to be held on April 27, nears.
Though there was widespread speculation during the plenary last year that the TRS chief and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao would promote his son K.T. Rama Rao as the working president, it did not happen.
However, this time, the TRS leaders and party cadre, especially the supporters of Mr Rama Rao in the party, are confident of the TRS boss elevating him as the working president in the crucial election year and that he is ready to pass on the baton to his son so that he could focus on national politics if the need arises.
Mr Rama Rao has already emerged as the star campaigner for the TRS and has been holding public meetings in all districts for the past year, under the name of “Pragathi Sabha” to explain the welfare and development programmes undertaken by the TRS government, to the people. He had also been taking shots at the Opposition for their criticism against the Chief Minister and TRS.
The CM’s nephew and irrigation minister, T. Harish Rao, was also touted as the next working president of the TRS till the last plenary was held in 2017. However, party sources said the CM made that it clear that there was no question of appointing two working presidents for the party and Mr Harish will continue to play a major role in the government.
As Mr Harish has been confining himself only to government work for the past year by extensively touring districts to inspect and monitor the progress of irrigation projects.
On the other hand, Mr Rama Rao has been assi-gned the task of addressing public meetings in all districts and establish himself as the undisputed leader in the party.
Mr Rao is also planning to take some other senior leaders along with him to Delhi by making them contest for the Lok Sabha elections and clear the way for his son in state politics. These senior leaders include T. Harish Rao, Etela Rajender, Kadiam Srihari, Tummala Nageshwar Rao, Talasani Srinivas Yadav etc.
