Hyderabad: TRS president K. Chandrasekhar Rao was not particular about a portfolio while joining the UPA-1 Cabinet in 2004, and insisted that all he wanted was statehood for Telangana.
This was revealed in a paragraph in the book, The Coalition Years, penned by former President Pranab Mukherjee. As a Congress leader, Mr Mukherjee was specifically assigned the responsibility of talking to UPA coalition partners on Cabinet formation.
When Mr Mukherjee met Mr Chandrasekhar Rao, one of the five TRS Lok Sabha members, and sought his choice over portfolio, Mr Rao insisted that achieving Telangana state was more important for him than any particular portfolio, the former President recalled.
Mr Mukherjee wrote: “In the context of TRS’s participation, KCR told me ‘Pranabji, you know my ambition. I want a separate Telangana. Which portfolio you give to me is not important. Whatever you give, I will gladly accept. But for God’s sake, please consider a separate Telangana”.
It so happened, Mr Rao was inducted into the Union Cabinet and continued for five months as ‘minister without portfolio’. He was persuaded to take the labour ministry, which he accepted.
TRS enthusiasts uploaded the paragraph on all social media platforms. “This indicates how sincere and committed our leader was, who through his indefinite fast achieved Telangana statehood,’ said party Peddapalli MP Balka Suman.
