Telangana CM K Chandra Sekhara Rao is on a three-day visit to New Delhi. He met up with union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekawat. The CM’s office has released the pictures of his meeting with Amit Shah, though no official statement about the meeting was made.
In what appeared to be a hurried decision on the part of TRS chief, his three-day visit has raised many eyebrows in political circles. In fact, during his stay in Delhi, KCR will also meet up with Prime Minister Modi and other union ministers.
It is being heard from his party circles that the primary reason KCR’s visit was to seek funds from the Centre for the recent flood relief activities. Just prior to his visit, KCR also congratulated PM Narendra Modi on the Central Vista project, though the Apex Court of India had stayed construction till its further order. Also, in a letter to the PM, KCR said the old Parliament building reeked of a ‘colonial past’, as the Centre is now concentrating on constructing a new Parliament house.
A host of BJP leaders flew down to Hyderabad during the run-up to the GHMC polls. The TRS lost nearly 44 seats and stood at 55, while BJP gained 48 seats, an increase of 44 seats. During the campaign, both parties indulged in mud-slinging at each other and KCR called for the formation of a federal front with like-minded parties from all over the country.
He even claimed that he will lead the farmers’ agitation from the front and make disinvestments in public sector undertakings a major issue.
Closer home, KCR still needs a good 20 seats to claim Hyderabad mayor’s seat. And for that, he will have to call for an alliance.
After directly hitting out at BJP, its leaders, agenda and PM Narendra Modi, KCR is now felicitating the same leaders with pochampally shawls in New Delhi.
Does that mean that KCR is a mere paper tiger? Or did he get hints that his grandiose plans of a federal front will fall flat?
Whatever be the reason, we will have to wait for an official statement from the CMO to get an idea of KCR’s latest game plan.