KCR may pick Kadiam as LoP

Hyderabad: Who will be the leader of the BRS legislature party in the new Assembly? This has become the topic of debate in political circles as it is learnt that party chief K Chandrasekhar Rao is reluctant to be the BRSLP leader.

Speculations are rife that KCR may opt for a SC leader like Kadiam Srihari to be the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Assembly for two reasons. One to prove that BRS was not Parivarvad party and secondly, he has been criticised by all political parties and even Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not making SC the first CM of Telangana despite having promised to do so. On Monday morning, it was felt that either his son K T Rama Rao or nephew T Harish Rao, who had played prominent roles both inside the Assembly and during the agitation phase for separate state, would be named as the leader of BRSLP.

KTR was asked to address a meeting of the newly elected MLAs at Telangana Bhavan but then the venue shifted to KCR’s farmhouse.

After discussions with the newly elected MLAs, KCR is learnt to have told them that soon he would convene a meeting of the legislature party at Telangana Bhavan and would decide on the issue of leader of opposition. KCR wants to measure this step very carefully since the LoP apart from enjoying the cabinet rank should be one who can take on the Congress party particularly Revanth Reddy, in case he becomes the Chief Minister. It was felt that Harish Rao may be better suited. But the majority of the party leaders want KCR himself to be the LoP and either KTR, Harish or Kadiam can be the deputy floor leaders.

Party sources also feel that the possibility of KCR keeping away from the Assembly and may prefer going to Lok Sabha cannot be ruled out.

KCR, addressing the MLAs, told them that winning and losing was part of democratic process. He said BRS would cooperate with the new government and will give time for them to deliver their promises. “Let us see what happens,” he is said to have remarked. BRS, he said, would play the role of a constructive opposition in the Assembly. He also told them that soon he would call for a general body meeting to chalk out a future course of action. BRS would now serve the people from Telangana

Bhavan which will be the center of political activity instead of Pragati Bhavan or Secretariat, he remarked.