Hyderabad: Chief Minister Chandrashekar Rao on Monday initiated steps to make the Chalo Delhi on April 11 a “grand success.” This will be the TRS's first protest rally in Delhi after coming to power in the state in 2014, and is aimed at stepping up pressure on the Centre to procure paddy from Telangana during the rabi season.
The CM, who landed in Delhi on Sunday evening, held a meeting with TRS MPs on Monday to discuss details of the rally. However, he did not make clear whether he would take part in the dharna in Delhi on April 11.
Official sources said the CM discussed with the MPs the plans to invite leaders of regional parties besides leaders of farmers unions like Rakesh Tikait of Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) and Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), who spearheaded the agitation in Delhi against the Centre's farm laws.
KCR discussed the arrangements for nearly 10,000 TRS leaders from mandal-level to state-level to sit on dharna in Delhi, including state ministers, TRS MLAs, MLCs, MPs, chairpersons of municipalities, zilla parishads, mandal parishads, mayors of municipal corporations, chairpersons of PACS (primary agriculture credit societies) and Rythu Bandhu Samithi leaders from mandal to state-level.
The Chief Minister's Office (CMO) has sought a meeting with Prime Minister Modi and Union food minister Piyush Goyal for TRS representatives to discuss the issue of paddy procurement. The PMO is yet to confirm the appointment.
The CM is likely to wait in Delhi for one more day for PM's appointment. If there is no response from PMO, he would return to Hyderabad either on Tuesday night or Wednesday morning. KCR and his wife Shobha underwent medical checkups in Delhi on Monday.
The CM would visit Delhi again between April 7 and 9 to review arrangements for the Chalo Delhi, or April 11.
TRS sources feel the chances of CM getting PM's appointment on Tuesday are remote as Modi had already given an appointment to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jaganmohan Reddy around 4.30 pm on Tuesday.
