KTR to pick candidates for 2019 polls

Hyderabad: Even as speculations are rife that State IT and Municipal Administration Minister KT Rama Rao will be promoted as second in command in TRS soon, the party supremo K Chandrasekhar Rao’s son KTR got into action mode to steer the party ‘unofficially’.   

As the Telangana Chief Minister has decided to plunge into national politics after the budget session of the Assembly in April, KCR entrusted KTR the responsibility of monitoring the performance of his party MLAs and scout for ‘winning horses’ in majority Assembly constituencies for 2019 elections in the State. 

Besides participating actively in the ‘Pragathi Yatras’ organised in many Assembly constituencies, KTR has been reviewing the winning prospects of incumbent party MLAs, including the turncoats from TDP and Congress. The total strength of the TRS in the Assembly is 82, out of which 20 legislators defected to the pink party at various intervals. 

Party sources said KTR would play a key role in finalising the names of TRS contestants to Assembly constituencies.  As KCR has prepared a road map to lead the Third Front at national-level from April onwards, his son will take care of the party affairs in all Assembly segments. Based on a survey reports, KTR will hold meetings with local leaders and evolve consensus in the finalising of names,” a senior leader said. 

Meanwhile, it is learnt that the candidates to contest 17 parliamentary constituencies will be decide by TRS chief himself.  A leader from the pink party stated that KTR had proved his mettle with the GHMC elections in which TRS registered a sounding victory by clinching 99 out of 150 divisions. “Confident of his son’s poll management and leadership abilities, KCR has decided to give free hand to KTR in the selection of candidates for Assembly polls, opined the party leader.  

The sources further added that KTR would visit all 119 Assembly constituencies as part of Pragati Yatras by the end of this year. During his visit, he would ascertain people’s mood, local political equations and winning prospects of the party.