Hyderabad: Interacting with the editorial team in Deccan Chronicle office on Tuesday, Telangana minister for legislative affairs, mines, marketing and irrigation T. Harish Rao clarified that he was not in the race for the chief minister’s post with Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s son and his Cabinet colleague K.T. Rama Rao, as was being made out by Opposition parties.
Mr Harish Rao categorically said that Mr Rama Rao and himself worked together, enjoyed good relations and loved to work under Mr Chandrasekhar’s leadership.
He added that reports of a “political race” and “differences” between them were only a creation of some vested interests aimed at creating a rift in their family.
Read: Harish Rao, the man and his ideas
He made it clear that Mr Chandrasekhar Rao was their only leader and Mr Rama Rao and himself love to work under his leadership and his guidance.
Stating that there was no hurry to think about a future chief minister for Telangana at this stage, Mr Harish Rao said, “We have a lot of time to think over it. Mr Chandrasekhar Rao is healthy. By all means he will rule the state for the next 15-20 years. When the situation and time comes, it will come out automatically.”
Telangana minister for legislative affairs, mines, marketing and irrigation T. Harish Rao, who is the nephew of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, has known to be the No. 2 in the Telangana Rashtra Samiti ever since its formation in 2001. But his position in the party became a subject of hot debate after Mr Chandrasekhar Rao’s son Mr Rama Rao entered active politics and joined the TRS in 2006 and was elected as MLA from Siricilla in 2009.
Read: ‘At the end of the day, it is performance that matters’
Replying to a question over whether he foresees a “Shiv Sena type of family conflict” for power, Mr Harish Rao said, “Not at all. Rama Rao and I work together on all issues in the interest of the party and state. We have perfect understanding and coordination between us. In fact, we are not allowing any one to take up this issue or debate about the future CM. In politics, it’s quite common to project someone as CM, put up hoardings and flexies to embarrass someone. Rama Rao and I have never allowed this in the party.”
Read: T Harish Rao: We will take every question raised
Referring to the criticism of “family rule” in the TRS, Mr Harish Rao said, “What’s wrong in this? A doctor’s son can become a doctor, an engineer’s son can become an engineer. Where is family rule not there? In which party? In the Telugu Desam Lokesh, Balakrishna, Harikrishna and others are there. In the Congress, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul, and Priyanka are there. In the DMK, M Karunanidhi, Stalin, Maran are there. It’s there everywhere. But one should realise that at the end of the day it is only one’s performance, efficiency, behaviour, character etc., that matters. Relations will not help forever though they provide an easy launch platform. Look at Rahul Gandhi. Why did he fail? Because he could not deliver and he was not up to the expectations of the people.
“I am in politics right from my college days. What’s wrong If I continue in politics now?”
Read: I have no me time: Telangana Irrigation Minister Harish Rao
Claiming that there are both advantages and disadvantages of coming from a political family, Mr Harish Rao said, “Though I had the eligibility and efficiency, I was denied the position of floor leader in the Legislative Assembly earlier. Because Mr Chandrasekhar Rao was the party president they cannot give the floor leader’s post to the same family. For that reason, other leaders were made floor leaders to send the right signal among party cadre and people.”
