An epoch-making year for TRS

​Hyderabad: The year 2018 proved eventful for the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) in the State where it achieved a landslide victory in the State Assembly Elections. Soon after taking oath as the Chief Minister for his second consecutive term, K Chandrashekar Rao appointed his son and Sircilla MLA-elect K T Rama Rao as TRS working president. 

Amidst allegations of the Opposition parties that the ruling party did not fulfil the pre-poll promises, the TRS achieved victory in the elections with 88 seats. The year 2018 started with rumours of Chief Minister Chandrashekar Rao going for re-shuffle of his cabinet during the month of January.

However, Chandrashekar Rao chose to continue his cabinet. At this time the TRS supported the proposed idea of the Centre to have simultaneous polls in the country. During February, the party MPs decided to support their Andhra Pradesh counterparts. 

The TRS MPs said that whatever promises were made to Andhra Pradesh in AP Reorganisation should be honoured. The Chief Minister formed Rythu Samanvaya Samithis’ to assist farmers in the State. For the first time, during a meeting of Rythu Samanvaya Samithi in Karimnagar, Chandrashekar Rao targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi allegedly by referring to him as ‘Modi Gadu.’

During March, the TRS chief indicated that he will be entering national politics for a qualitative change in the Nation. He said that he would be doing politics at national level by being in the State. The strength of the TRS increased in Rajya Sabha with TRS winning all the three vacant seats (CM Ramesh, Rapolu Ananda Bhaskar and Palvai Goverdhan). 

The party sent three leaders to Rajya Sabha including J Santosh, BC leaders B Lingaiah Yadav and B Prakash Mudiraj.
During the TRS plenary held in the city during April, the party unanimously supported the decision of Chief Minister to enter national politics. The TRS leaders in plenary raised slogans like ‘Desh Ka Neta Kaisa Ho... KCR Jaisa Ho...’ Rao started targeting national parties like the Congress and the BJP alleging that both were responsible for several problems in the country. He said both parties were responsible for shortage of drinking water and irrigated water to farmers. During the plenary, Rao said that Modi would lose next elections.

Rao met leaders of different political parties including West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader Hemanth Soren, DMK leaders M Karunanidhi, M K Stalin, M K Kanimozhi and Samajwadi leader Akhilesh Yadav. Rao visited Karnataka before elections and met H D Deve Gowda. However, the TRS chief skipped the swearing in ceremony of H D Kumara Swamy by meeting him a day before the swearing in ceremony in Bengaluru.

Chandrashekar Rao indicated at early polls in the State in a meeting at Telangana Bhavan daring the Opposition parties to get ready for elections in two-three months. Referring to them as ‘Nadaan Dushman,’ (innocent rivals) Rao challenged the Opposition parties. Rao called MIM as friendly party of the TRS. During the month of June, the Nizamabad leaders demanded that the Chief Minister take action against senior leader and Rajya Sabha member D Srinivas. However, the Chief Minister chose to remain silent. 

When no-confidence motion was brought against the Centre for failing to implement the promise of special category status (SCS), the TRS tactically abstained from voting. The no-confidence motion was brought by the Telugu Desam Party against the NDA government at the Centre. In the election of Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha, the TRS preferred to support JDU candidate over Congress candidate. The TRS leaders said that Congress did not approach them for the support whereas the JDU leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar telephoned Rao and sought his support.

The TRS chief announced that there would be early elections in the State. He said that he would announce candidates much before elections and also kept his word by giving tickets to sitting candidates in September. Before announcement of candidates, the party organised a huge and never before Public meeting 'Pragati Nivedana Sabha' at Kongara Kalan with 25 lakh people on September 2. Rao announced candidates to 105 Assembly constituencies on September 6 giving preference to sitting MLAs. He said ECI would take up elections in November during a press conference.

In two months of electioneering, the Chief Minister addressed public meetings in almost 90 Assembly constituencies thereby ensuring the victory of TRS with 88 seats. While, the TRS chief campaigned in the elections, his son and Minister K T Rama Rao pacified several rebel candidates, who posed threat to the party candidates. The TRS chief announced the decision to elevate his son K T Rama Rao as party’s working president on December 14.