Hyderabad: TRS working president K.T. Rama Rao on Saturday said that one does not have to be in the country’s capital to play a role in national politics.
He said that the late Telugu Desam founder N.T. Rama Rao had stepped into the national scene while staying in Hyderabad during the National Front regime in the mid-90s.
Addressing a Meet the Press programme, Mr Rama Rao denied speculation that he would be Chief Minister after the 2019 elections, in view of the decision of TRS president and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao to play a key role in national politics.
He said the people, party leaders and he himself wanted Mr Chandra-sekhar Rao to be Chief Minister for 10 to 15 years.
He said that the TRS was firm on bringing about a qualitative change in the way the country was governed. It would like to see the welfare and empowerment schemes launched in the state to be replicated in the rest of the country.
Mr Rama Rao said, “We have proved that if a government is determined, projects can be completed at a fast clip. We would like to implement Rythu Bandhu, Rythu Bima, Mission Bhagiratha, Mission Kakatiya and other welfare schemes on a national scale.”
He said that the TRS had got with 98 lakh votes, or 49 per cent of the vote share, in the Assembly elections. There was a huge gap of about 42 lakh votes between the TRS and the Congress-led People’s Front.
On the formation of the Federal Front without the BJP and the Congress, Mr Rama Rao said, “As things stand, it does not appear that the BJP will get more than 150 to 160 seats. The Congress may get between 80 and 90 seats. If the people elect 16 TRS MPs, Telangana state can have a strong decisive voice at the Centre.” A non-BJP, non-Congress Federal Front that the TRS is working towards can play a vital role under such circumstances, he added.
He said there was strong emotional bond between Mr Rao and the people and they had placed a huge responsibility on the TRS by giving it a resounding victory with positive voting.
Referring to a question on the effort of AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu to build a third front at the national level with the support of the Congress, Mr Rama Rao said Mr Naidu was trying to cover up the weaknesses in the TD by creating a show at the national level. “His effort is only to strengthen the Telugu Desam and not the country,” Mr Rama Rao said.
He said Mr Naidu would become irrelevant after the 2019 elections and the TRS would play an active role in AP politics. He said he and Mr Chandrasekhar Rao would visit AP to build the Federal Front.
About the TRS supporting the YSRC in AP as its president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy was his good friend, Mr Rama Rao said, “We will disclose our decision at the right time and will take the right stand.”
Ruling out the possibility of joining hands with the BJP or the Congress after the 2019, he said neither of the two parties would be in a position to form government. “Regional parties will play a crucial role and Mr Rao will play an important role in uniting them to form government,” Mr Rama Rao said.
Asked if he was favoured as he was Mr Chandrasekhar Rao’s son, Mr Rama Rao said, “Being the son of Mr KCR, I can get an entry into the party. I had to prove my mettle which I have done during the GHMC elections and in the Assembly polls.”
He said he would ensure more representation for women in the party by strengthening the TRS women’s wing. It is for Mr Rao to answer the question of inducting women in his Cabinet.
