Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, known for his Chanakyan political sagacity, pushing his plans with breakneck speed to gear up and prepare his ruling party for the ensuing crucial elections even as the timing of the polls is seeped in deep suspense.
While the Chief Minister, who is also the TRS Party’s President, at the same time by keeping close to is chest regarding speculations about advancing the elections in the state has undoubtedly put the party leaders and cadre on tenterhooks, especially with regard to their candidature for contesting.
As part of his diligent moves to encounter any challenges in the coming battle royal, the Chief Minister on Friday convened a joint meeting of the party’s state committee, MPS, MLAs, MLCs and other senior leaders in Telangana Bhavan. Though the meeting is ostensibly intended to brief the party leaders about the proposed Pragathi Nivedana meeting to be held on September 2 and explain the need for making it mother of rallies by mobilising 25,000 people. The rally to be held on a 1600 acre land near Ibrahimptnam on the outskirts of the city is in fact a kind of show of strength to send a clear message to the opposition, especially the Congress.
The importance being attached to the September 2 meeting is clearly evident with KCR himself taking keen interest in the going preparations for the same at the site of the rally. He along with Deputy CM Mahmood Ali, Home Minister N. Narasimha Reddy and other senior leaders inspected the ongoing preparations. He even suggested to the ministers and leaders to ensure that there would be no hassles for the people coming to attend the meeting. For this he suggested preparing 10 to 20 new roads and lanes for the people to come to the venue without any problem. He also instructed that expenditure for laying the these new roads should be met from party funds.
Later the Chief Minister proceeded to Telangana Bhavan to address the high level joint meeting of the party leaders. It is pertinent to note here that KCR has entrusted the task of preparing a progress report about the working of the legislators to some of his confidants who were made in charge three Assembly segments. The appraisal report of the legislators is likely to be presented to him at this meeting.
The Chief Minister has already made it known that the list of TRS candidates for the ensuing polls would be announced after the September 2 rally. However, there was talk among the party leaders that he might take to task about the working of some legislators, including some ministers, based on the appraisal reports. Also he is expected to give some clarity with regard to his plans about advancing the elections at the meeting. However one aspect on which he is expected to lay greater stress would about the leaders to leave no stone unturned in wooing and winning the confidence of the electorate by explaining about the welfare and developmental programmes launched by the TRS government.
Soon after the joint meeting of the party leaders, the Chief Minister would leave for New Delhi accompanied by top bureaucrats including the Chief Secretary. Expected to spend three days in the national capital, KCR would meet the Prime Minister Narendra Modi besides some union ministers to get clearance for various pending projects and also resolve critical issues like handing over some defence lands in lieu of state government lands etc.
Though the Chief Minister’s New Delhi visit is being projected in official circles as an exercise to procure the central clearance and assistance for the state, one cannot rule out the possibility of the important issue of advancing the elections in the state might also crop up with the concerned authorities.
As a matter of fact political circles feel that KCR, who is stepping up his moves in the direction of holding early elections in the state, might try to apprise himself about the central government’s plans if the state elections are advanced and whether there would no hitches in conducting the same along with the four other states where polls are scheduled to take place sometime during December.
It is also pertinent to note here that if the Chief Minister opts to go for early elections in the state, the whole process has to be completed by December 15 since the polling has to be completed in Mizoram State and the new government should be formed by that state. Though the term of the Assemblies in Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan will last till sometime in January, the elections have to be completed in these states also along with Mizoram. Thus if early polls in Telangana have to be also completed by December 15 along with the other four states.
Therefore according to official sources if KCR is planning to advance the elections in the state and it has to be completed by December 15, it is imperative to dissolve the State Assembly by September 10 give the required time for the Election Commission to complete all required formalities for conducting the polls along with four other states. As a first step the state cabinet should meet and pass adopt a resolution to dissolve the House and after which it has to be intimated to the Governor to dissolve the Assembly.
Thus the Chief Minister is likely to apprise himself about all these nitty gritty aspects of going in for early polls during his interaction with the concerned authorities during his stay in the national capital. (NSS).
