Telangana Rashtra Samithi president K Chandrasekhara Rao is always known for his aggressive posture and pungent criticism against his political rivals. But for the first time, he had to go on the defensive last week.
KCR’s initiative in holding a meeting with Chief Executive Officers of various domestic and multinational companies on Wednesday has led to widespread criticism, not only from other political parties, but also several Telangana organizations. Everything was secret about the meeting; nobody knew whether the meeting was organized by the TRS or the organizers – International Management Association, which was hitherto unknown, held the meeting and called KCR to address the CEOs.
The list of participants was also kept secret, though some names like GVK Bio, PnP Consulting, Apollo Hospitals, Sab Miller, DuPont, Matrix Laboratories, Broadridge, Splendid Aparna Projects, Gati, Ballarpur Industries and Bank of America at Hotel Taj Krishna were leaked. The inside of the meeting was also not known, except the briefing by KCR’s son K t Rama Rao that the TRS president had assured the industrialists of all protection in the Telangana state to be formed any time in 2011. He told them that the formation of Telangana was certain and Hyderabad would continue to be the capital of Telangana.
While all the political parties criticized KCR for holding the meeting of CEOs, it was the Telugu Desam Party which took maximum advantage of it to run down the TRS president. TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu, who was totally demoralized with the debacle in the recent by-elections in Telangana region, quickly grabbed the opportunity and launched the attack on KCR. He wondered in what capacity had KCR addressed the industrialists and given all sorts of assurances to them. He accused KCR of day-dreaming about Telangana and his elevation as the chief minister of Telangana state.
Apart from the TDP, all the other rivals of KCR alleged that KCR was exploiting Telangana issue for making a fast buck. His comments on a television channel last week, praising Vijayawada Congress MP Lagadapati Rajagopal describing him as a “hero” and asserted that all those who were born in Telangana belonged to this region irrespective of their native place led to the suspicion that he might have entered into some deal with the Andhra leaders for making collection of money. While veteran leader G Venkatswamy alleged that KCR had taken bribes from Ramoji Rao, TDP leaders coined a new slogan for him: “Andhrawale Aao, Mamool Devo.”
The TRS president is now said to be in a damage control mode, according to latest reports.
As regards the Odarpu Yatra of Kadapa MP Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, it continues to be a like a never-ending Telugu television daily serial. After taking rest for three days on account of his eye-infection and joint pains, Jaganmohan Reddy hit the road again last Sunday. The only attractive part was his spectacles, obviously to avoid dust falling into his eyes. His cousin and minister Balineni Srinivasa Reddy decalred that the yatra would go on for another two or three years. As regards the Rosaiah government, there was nothing to much worry about last week. He won kudos for successfully organizing the Ganesh nimajjanam without any scope for communal riots, as feared by the police. With the Ayodhya verdict being deferred, he was very much relieved.
There was also relief for Kadapa mayor P Ravindranath Reddy, brother-in-law of late Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, in the fertilizer scandal, as the police withdrew Section 420 case against him, thanks to the behind the screen role played by K V P Ramachandra Rao. And the relief was also to Panchayat Raj minister Botsa Satyanarayana, who was given a clean chit by the CBI in the Volkswagen fraud case.
As regards, Praja Rajyam Party president K Chiranjeevi, there is nothing much to write about, except that he has brought back his brother-in-law Allu Aravind in the general secretary post. Probably, the PRP is starved of funds and there is no better person than Aravind to fill the coffers!
