HYDERABAD: In a significant development, TRS supremo and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao have decided to convene the TRS Legislature Party meeting, immediately after the scheduled Cabinet meeting on September 3.
Rao’s decision to hold both the Cabinet meeting as well as the TRS Legislature Party meeting on the same day, which is considered very unusual, has sparked speculation that the Chief Minister may make some big announcements on the day, including one on possible early Assembly polls.
It is worth mentioning here that Rao, banking on “September sentiment”, took some key decisions in the past. For instance, in 2006, he resigned as an MP in September, after TRS parted ways with the then UPA government.
He also convened the Cabinet meeting on September 6, 2018, and dissolved the State Legislative Assembly, paving the way for early polls. However, it is not clear why Rao has decided to convene the two meetings this Saturday.
When contacted, a close aide of the Chief Minister ruled out the possibility of Rao going for early Assembly polls and said there is still 18 months’ time before the present government’s tenure ends. There are two arguments doing the rounds on whether or not Rao will go for early elections for the Assembly. If he favours early polls, then the elections have to be conducted before February 2023.
Such a scenario will be advantageous for the TRS as all the top brass of the BJP will be busy with Gujarat and Karnataka Assembly polls and they may not focus their energies on Telangana. Another argument is that Rao may try to win the hearts of voters in order to overcome the anti-incumbency factor by implementing various welfare schemes in the next 18 months.
MPs split invitees to TRS LP meeting
The TRS insiders are of the view that in the next 18 months, the BJP would also try to expand its base in the State and secure a share of anti-incumbency votes by diminishing the Congress, which will ultimately help the TRS.
But, in the last few days, Rao is continuously attacking the BJP and the Narendra Modi government and dropped enough hints that he would play a key role in national politics. He also vowed to replace the BJP government with a “farmers’ government” at the Centre after the next general elections. It remains to be seen whether Rao will take any decision on national politics on Saturday.
In an attempt to realise his national political ambitions, Rao has been meeting leaders of various regional parties, farmers and other sections of the society.
Rao will have a similar meeting with his Bihar counterpart Nitish Kumar on Wednesday. Sources said that even if Assembly elections are held as per schedule in December 2023, Rao will have sufficient time to focus on national politics during the Lok Sabha elections to be held in 2023.
The priority before TRS is to retain power in the State for the third consecutive time, and then comes the national politics.
However, a press release on Tuesday said that besides MLCs and MLAs, all the MPs will also attend the Legislature Party meeting as special invitees.
“The meeting will discuss various developmental programmes being implemented in the State like Aasara pensions and podu lands and other issues,” the release said.
DIRECT RECRUITMENT TO FILL 2,910 POSTS
The State government on Tuesday issued orders to fill up another 2,910 posts in Agriculture and other allied departments through direct recruitment. With this, the govt has so far issued notifications for 52,460 posts.
Finance Minister T Harish Rao tweeted: “Massive - #Telangana crosses 50K milestone in job notificati-ons issued so far. As promised by Hon'ble #CMKCR garu, Today issued orders for filling of direct recruitment posts 2910. So far over 52,460 jobs have been notified in the past 3 months”.
SEPTEMBER SENTIMENT
In the past too, KCR banked on “September sentiment” and took some key decisions. In 2006, he resigned as an MP, after TRS parted ways with the then UPA government. He also convened the Cabinet meeting on September 6, 2018, and dissolved the Assembly, paving the way for early polls