All eyes on Cabinet meet

Hyderabad: Why did Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao announce that he would hold a Cabinet meeting on December 4, a day after the poll results? This was an issue of discussion in many political circles on Friday.

Was it a strategic move to keep his flock together in the wake of adverse predictions by the exit polls? Or is he confident that the exit poll results will be proved wrong on Sunday and he would hit a hat-trick?

The general opinion was that “KCR had adopted a strategy to boost the morale of the party cadre who were disappointed after the exit polls predicting clear win for the Congress to form the government.” Leaders said KCR held a meeting with the party leaders, including T Harish Rao, KT Rama Rao, K Keshava Rao and others, and analysed polling pattern and the outcome of the exit polls. “Leaders told KCR that the cadre was upset after the exit polls predicting a huge loss for the BRS.”

They said KCR will hold the Cabinet meeting even if the exit polls are proved correct and adopt a resolution thanking the people for giving a big mandate twice in 2014 and 2018 and for reposing faith in his leadership. KCR will give a message to the people that the BRS is committed to the cause of Telangana and would stand by the people even if it was in the Opposition.

If the BRS wins for the third time, KCR will not only announce the date and time for taking oath but also reiterate the assurances he had given during the campaign particularly regarding the distribution of land titles for assigned lands in the state.

Meanwhile, KCR was also planning the strategy that needs to be adopted in case if there was a hung Assembly and if the BRS emerges as the single largest party. “KCR feels that this time poaching from other parties may not be that easy a task and there is a possibility of inviting the ire of the people if such horse trading takes place soon after the poll results,” sources said.