KCR's party plan stokes political storm

Hyderabad: Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao's announcement that he is ready to launch a national party has triggered quite a political storm in the State.

While the TRS leaders claimed that the Chief Minister's statement has grabbed the national attention, the opposition is questioning as to why he has so far failed to bring together like-minded parties together to form Federal Front.

Not even a single political party has so far come forward to join the Federal Front, the opposition leaders said. But the TRS leaders expressed the hope that the Chief Minister's statement would help yield political benefits for the party in the Lok Sabha elections.

The TRS leaders said KCR had already made efforts to unite like-minded political parties under the banner of Federal Front. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and YSR Congress Party president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy extended their support to the KCR's initiative. KSR statement on launching national party, if necessary, showed that he is keen on playing a key role in national politics.

KCR's vision on utilisation of water resources for irrigation, strengthening of federal system and national economy already attracted national attention, TRS leader Prabhakar said. The party chief has chalked out a strategy to play a constructive role in national politics in the coming days.

Telangana Congress working president A Revanth Reddy said that KCR had already failed in forming Federal Front to provide an alternative to BJP and Congress at the Centre.

No political party came forward and supported the Chief Minister's proposal. He alleged that KCR had floated the idea of Federal Front to help the BJP through the backdoor in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections.

Another senior leader Mohd Ali Shabbir said even with 15 MPs in the last Lok Sabha, the TRS had utterly failed in mounting pressure on the Centre to fulfil the promises made under AP Reorganisation Act. Apart from it, KCR could not secure national status for Kaleshwaram project, 12 per cent quota for Muslims and 10 per cent to Scheduled Tribes, Turmeric Board, Bayyaram steel plant, revival of Nizam Sugar Factory or NTPC power project.

Shabbir said KCR's dream of becoming Prime Minister would prove a mirage because he cannot command attention with just 17 Lok Sabha members. He also pointed out that in Andhra Pradesh, during the last five years they had built six lakh houses whereas Telangana could only complete 19,000 houses.