Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s Third Front idea is set to bring a sea-change in political equations within the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samiti before the 2019 elections.
The TRS plenary to be held next month is likely to elect the Chief Minist-er’s son and IT minister K.T. Rama Rao as working president of the par-ty to pave the way for him to become Chief Minis-ter in 2019 should Mr KCR move to Delhi and national politics.
It is being said that Mr KCR is keen to give senior leaders in his party tickets to contest the Lok Sabha poll so that they stay in Delhi and Mr KTR has a free hand to select candidates of his choice for the Assembly seats to strengthen his position in the party and the government if the TRS retains power in 2019.
Mr KTR is expected to have the final say in selection of candidates for the 119 Assembly constituencies in 2019.
Party sources say that the Chief Minister is keen on fielding the party’s senior leaders Kadiam Srihari (currently depu-ty CM), Tummala Nages-hwar Rao, Talasani Sri-nivas Yadav, and Etela Rajender, all ministers, as Lok Sabha candidates and give KTR the freed-om to select candidates of his choice for these seats.
Some incumbent MPs are also likely to be asked to contest for the Asse-mbly. The MP from Pedd-apalli, Balka Suman, a student leader and stau-nch supporter of Mr KTR, may be fielded as an MLA candidate.
The name of Nizama-bad MP and the Chief Minister’s daughter, K Kavitha, is also doing the rounds for an Assembly seat in 2019, though some party leaders doubt wh-ether the CM will allow two power centres in the TRS party and governm-ent, by sending both his children to the Assembly.
Allowing KTR to address public meetings in the districts is seen as a clear indication that the CM wants his son to replace him should he move onto the national stage. Mr KTR is consulted on all major decisions at government and party levels and is a member of all crucial Cabinet sub-committees constituted by the government to frame and implement the TRS government's key schemes.
