The man of the hour - KCR

The author, columnist Jwala Narasimha Rao couldn’t have chosen a better time for publishing ‘51 Months of KCR Governance with a Difference’, what with K Chandrasekhara Rao riding on the wave of success triggered by popularity amongst the citizens and he has just the other day taken an oath to serve as the CM for the second term to the youngest State of India, Telangana.

Jwala Narasimha Rao has for a long time now been close to the administration; currently, he serves as the CPRO to Telangana CM. It begins with CM’s speech at IIM-PACT in Singapore in 2014 where KCR expressed the need for development in the then newly formed state. “The new State of Telangana has a lot of catching up to do to fulfil the ambitions of its people.

The same zeal and tenacity with which the State was achieved will be channelled into the development of the State,” the Chief Minister said in addition to sharing his vision for Telangana in every field and his ambition to create a brand for Hyderabad and Telangana. Then there is the Comprehensive Policy for State – a policy formulated keeping in view the State’s economy, the goals of the State in the background of development, department wise, district wise.

The CM asked the senior officials to draft such a policy, and the details discussing the same during a review meeting are part of the book. By publishing KCR’s speeches at various forums, nationally and internationally and his own columns elaborating on the various government policies and also his observations and suggestions, Jwala makes this book an interesting reference of what went into making the new State of Telangana one of the most developed States of India and investor-friendly, the developments leading up to the Rythu Bandhu programme and several other welfare schemes of the government, which in a way paved the way for the government to take the reins yet again, for the second time.

The book traces the growth trajectory of the State. For example, after reading about the instructions to create a development driven State policy, a few chapters later one reads CM KCR’s speech at Golconda Fort in 2017, where he reeled out the progress the State made in various sectors.

During this speech, he declared that despite being a young State ‘With 21.7 per cent economic growth in 2016-17, the State stood number one in the country.’ The book also has interviews that KCR gave to journalists like Rajdeep Sardesai. As you read the book, you realise there are several instances when he expressed his opinion about how BJP and Congress operate as if ‘it is only either of them who would make it to the government’ indicating a desire to make an impact in national politics – the intent which became quite clear, yet again, just after he won the elections.

Jwala’s book is extremely comprehensive. From the beginning of the State to the time when KCR declared early pools and reactions thereafter – it is all there, and instead of a rhetoric narration – one gets to read the story of the journey of KCR as the first chief minister of Telangana through various formats – sometimes, reports, at times through press notes, a few speeches, interviews, and even internal review meetings, and adding an edge to these are Jwala’s Musings.