Hyderabad: The Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) has dropped the proposal to appoint a working president. The proposal was mooted to ease the burden on Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, who is bogged down with administration and party responsibilities. According to party inner circles, TRS would follow the pattern of the regional parties in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu where the Chief Minister continues as party president.

During TRS extended executive committee meeting at Kompally in February, speculations were rife that KCR’s son and IT Minister K Tarakarama Rao would be elevated to the post of working president. However, Rao gave enough indications that there would be no change during his one-hour speech at the meeting.

According to party insiders, all the regional parties in the country such as AIADMK, DMK, Samajwadi Party, Biju Janta Dal, Bahujan Samaj Party and even the TDP had party supremos simultaneously functioning as chief ministers when their parties triumphed in state assembly elections. TRS is no different to this, they explained.

The fact that political parties would take the opportunity to corner the ‘family politics’ of KCR in case his son was appointed as the Number-Two in the party also played a part. There was also the fear of paving way for groupism within the party with leaders and rank and file of the party taking sides of the two main politicians calling the shots.

A close aide of KCR confided that Rao was the best person who can carry on the dual responsibilities with aplomb. This is the time to strengthen the party by getting all stakeholders-loyalists and veterans with the party for over a decade and the new leaders-on board without egos and differences. Chandrasekhar Rao commands respect from seniors and juniors in state politics and it would be in the interests of the party if he heads the party like before, he felt. Meanwhile, another key leader commented that there was no chance of party appointing a working president in the ensuing plenary.
   

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Source: THI