TRS family members' help ensure K Chandrasekhar Rao's victory in Telangana

Hyderabad: Leaders of all parties campaigning in the state, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, criticised the family rule of Telangana Rashtra Samithi chief and caretaker Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao. They said that the TRS government is in the hands of only four members of the TRS family.

But those family members did a great deal to ensure victory for the party in these assembly elections. KCR’s nephew T. Harish Rao, his son K.T. Rama Rao and daughter K Kavitha campaigned extensively in the state.

After launching the election campaign at Husnabad on September 7, KCR waited till the election notification was announced by the central election commission before he resumed the campaign. But in the meantime, his family toured the state extensively, covering major constituencies of TRS candidates. Like KCR, these three leaders speak well and criticise the opposition sharply. KTR and Harish Rao while campaigning in the districts took on the job of convincing rebel candidates not to contest against the official candidates.

KTR concentrated on Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy districts. The experience of the civic elections helped him craft an election strategy in the 24 constituencies in GHMC limits. KTR convinced the settlers that his party’s criticism of Andhra Pradesh CM N. Chandrababu Naidu was not criticism of Andhra people and applied only to Mr Naidu.

KCR places a lot of confidence in his nephew Harish Rao, who has a firm grip on the party. When there is a crisis in the party, it is to Harish Rao that KCR turns. He is confident that his nephew will carry out any work he is entrusted with. So, not surprisingly, the tough job of defeating strong Congress leaders was given to him.

KCR put Harish Rao in charge of his home constituency of Gajwel. In the previous elections, KCR had won by around 19,000 votes; this time his winning margin was 58,290 votes. In his constituency of Siddipet, Harish Rao won by more than one lakh votes and in Sircilla, his cousin KTR won by 89,009 votes.

KCR’s daughter K. Kavitha has a good image among women and with party cadre. After the state was formed everyone remembers what Kavitha had to say about the Bathukamma festival. As the founder of the Telangana Jagruthi, Kavitha has taken up a number of programmes which were popular among people and enhanced her image.