Pink party sees mixed year of gains, losses

♦    Though the party was upbeat over sailing smoothly through Covid crisis in 2019, the Dubbaka defeat waters down its aspirations

♦    The BJP that was friend at the beginning becomes a foe with the CM even sitting in a protest against the Centre over the paddy procurement issue

♦    Holds the plenary in subdued manner, but passes the resolution to make KTR take important decisions in the absence of party chief KCR

♦    At last, the victory of 12 Council seats again resurrects the party with all the enthusiasm that it lost to BJP in the bypolls

♦    While Eatala's sacking shocks many, his victory in Huzurabad bypoll leaves KCR and his clan in utter disbelief

Hyderabad: Two years after forming the government for the second consecutive term in Telangana with a bumper majority, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) had a year of mixed results with victories in Council and Nagarjunasagar bypoll and defeat in Huzurabad.

The TRS, which had a softer stand towards the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government at the Centre early this year, eventually changed its stance as the year came to an end with Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao waging a war against the saffron brigade stating that if the country had to progress, the BJP should be ousted from power.

Though the year 2021 for TRS started on a rough note with some disgruntled leaders threatening to leave the party post Dubbaka drubbing, party working president KT Rama Rao swung into action and cajoled the leaders to remain in the party. During the first half of the year, some of the TRS leaders, including MLAs made comments against their own party. Besides Eatala, MLA Rasamayi Balkishan also created a stir stating that he was feeling like working in a limited company.

Meanwhile, the party had maintained silence on the support to the Centre, it neither supported nor opposed. However, the party refused the call given by the opposition parties to boycott the Presidential Address in Parliament. The party leaders attended the presidential address. Apart from this, the party maintained a strategic silence on the union budget as there were no reactions from the TRS leaders on it.

The party won the municipal elections held during April in Khammam, Warangal, Siddipet and a few other municipalities. Similarly, the party avenged the Dubbaka defeat by overthrowing the BJP sitting candidate in Council under Graduates quota, N Ramchander Rao.

Shocking everyone, the party sacked Health Minister Eatala Rajender on the allegations of land grabbing and an inquiry was also ordered by the Chief Minister. Eatala resigned from TRS and also as MLA from Huzurabad, which resulted in yet another bypoll in the State during the second half of the year.

The party celebrated 20th Formation Day this year in a subdued manner due to Covid restrictions. The party took important decisions during the plenary one being authorising KTR to take important decisions in the absence of party chief KCR. In November, the party had to face a big jolt in the form of defeat in Huzurabad even after trying its best. BJP's Eatala Rajender wins the bypoll forcing the TRS to cancel its mammoth public meeting, Vijaya Garjana. The party ended the year by winning all the 18 Council seats, including six seats under MLA quota and 12 seats under local bodies quota.