HYDERABAD: Telangana Rashtra Samiti president and Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao will begin damage control exercise after Diwali to boost the image of the party and the government against the backdrop of Huzurabad bypoll debacle.
Party sources said the Chief Minister decided to reach out to people by undertaking extensive tours of districts in November and December and review the delivery of government schemes at the ground level.
After suffering shocking defeat in the hands of the BJP in Huzurabad bypoll, the first major challenge before the TRS leadership is to make Telangana Vijaya Garjana Sabha in Warangal on November 29 with 10 lakh people a grand success to boost the morale of party's rank and file.
Another immediate challenge before the Chief Minister is to select six candidates for MLC elections under MLAs quota, the notification for which will be issued by Election Commission on November 9. Since the TRS has absolute majority in the Assembly with 103 MLAs out of total 119, it can bag all six seats unanimously without polling on November 29. Opposition parties have no sufficient numbers to even field candidates.
However, there are 30 serious contenders in TRS for these six MLC seats and Rao has to do a balancing act in the wake of the changed political situation following Huzurabad defeat. He has to walk the political tightrope in selection of candidates to ensure that no dissidence erupts in the party from those who fail to get berths.
Although the TRS banked heavily on its welfare schemes and development programmes in Huzurabad, they failed to ensure victory for the party. The party feels that the lacunae in implementation of welfare schemes were one of the prime reasons for voters venting ire at the TRS as welfare schemes did not reach the beneficiaries effectively due to fund crunch. There is a huge pendency of applications for welfare schemes and also fund crunch which resulted in mounting arrears for beneficiaries.
The Chief Minister wants to fill that gap and ensure effective delivery of welfare schemes by ensuring adequate funds promptly every month, it is learnt. He will start his district tours to launch party offices in all district headquarters which are ready for inauguration in November and December.
He will also undertake tours to districts to monitor implementation of Dalit Bandhu where four more mandals are selected for pilot project along with Huzurabad.
The Chief Minister has been confined to his farmhouse in Erravelli on city outskirts since the TRS plenary meeting held at Hitex Convention Centre in City on October 25. He did not take part in any official programme or meeting since then.
After the conclusion of TRS plenary, the Chief Minister left for his farmhouse from where he reviewed Huzurabad byelection and counting till November 2.
After Diwali celebrations with family members on Thursday, the Chief Minister is expected to return to Pragathi Bhavan on Friday.
