KTR Calls On Harish, Sets Off Unity Talk
On Friday, Rama Rao called on Harish Rao at the latter’s residence and spent around a couple of hours with him.
Hyderabad:It was just three days ago that senior BRS leader T Harish Rao reaffirmed his loyalty to party president K. Chandrashekar Rao, and declared that he would be happy to work with K.T. Rama Rao, working president, in the event of his becoming party president.
On Friday, Rama Rao called on Harish Rao at the latter’s residence and spent around a couple of hours with him. Party sources said Rama Rao had gone to enquire about the health of Harish Rao’s father, who had been a little unwell over the past two months. While this was the official explanation, rumour mills within the party were quick to start churning indicating that there was more to the meeting that the explanation given.
There have been persistent rumours, especially since the April 27 BRS silver jubilee public meeting in Warangal district, that Harish Rao was feeling slighted as he was ignored in the run-up to the event, and was sidelined in its preparations and all credit went to Rama Rao. Following Harish Rao’s declaration that he welcomed Rama Rao becoming party president, the latter calling on Harish Rao assumed significance.
The meeting was also about sending a signal that Rama Rao had no differences with Harish Rao, party sources said. Both leaders had always maintained that they work united for the party, but that had not scotched speculation about alleged differences between them. Sources said the meeting may have even been prompted with a nudge from Chandrashekar Rao who has been keeping a very close watch on the happenings in the party.
Incidentally, the meeting came on a day when another party leader and MLC with high stakes in the party, K. Kavitha, left for the US to attend the graduation ceremony of her son at a university there.