Will young Turks find berths?

​Hyderabad: Blood is thicker than water.  But, what if efficiency of the highest order and loyalty also come into play.  And, how about the taunt that ‘family rule’ defines Telangana Rashtra Samiti? These are some of the underlying factors at work when it comes to answering the overriding question ahead of cabinet formation: Will T Harish Rao and K T Rama Rao, young Turks of the party, be inducted into the cabinet? This is also the hot topic of discussion among various TRS circles. 

While some argue that both the young leaders will be inducted into the cabinet, there are others who say that only Harish will get a chance as KTR has been entrusted with the arduous task of handling party’s performance in the upcoming elections, initially panchayat and later the Lok Sabha elections. 

The TRS president, after taking charge as the Chief Minister, appointed K T Rama Rao as the party’s working president. The message was clear and unmistakeable. Accordingly, KTR has been visiting the districts and is trying to ensure that the TRS sweeps the panchayat elections.  

According to some party leaders, if the Chief Minister decides to have both the leaders in the cabinet, the opposition parties would again target him on ‘family rule’ in the State. Yet, sources say, there is pressure from within the family to include Rama Rao into the cabinet. 

Still, some of the party leaders want the TRS chief to accommodate Harish Rao in the new team. Harish has come to be known as the ‘trouble shooter’ in the party, going by the unobtrusive role he played in the last cabinet. These leaders also point out that Harish Rao had achieved the targets set for him. Harish Rao was given the responsibility of looking after Kodangal, Gadwal and Alampur constituencies during the elections and he ensured the victory of party candidates, with Congress party’s bigwigs (Revanth Reddy, D K Aruna) losing the election.

Sources say that there has been no communication between the TRS chief and Harish Rao ever since Chandrashekar Rao took oath as the Chief Minister at Raj Bhavan. Harish is ostensibly busy in participating in different programmes in the district and following the instructions of the party leadership “like a disciplined worker”.