India: KCR’s mammoth rally attracts CMs, political leaders

Hyderabad: An estimated million people thronged Khammam city on Wednesday as the Bharat Rashtra Samithi, the renamed ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi, pulled out all stops to declare its arrival on the national political stage.

The mammoth show of strength of BRS supremo K. Chandrasekhar Rao was also attended by several national leaders, including three chief ministers - Pinarayi Vijayan of Kerala, Arvind Kejriwal of Delhi and Bhagwant Singh Mann of Punjab - former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and D. Raja, Secretary of Communist Party of India.

The massive rally was keenly awaited by many at the national level because of the track record of KCR, his success in fulfilling the six-decade old dream of separate state of Telangana and successfully setting the newly carved state on the path of progress and development.

All eyes were riveted on the event as it was expected to unveil the future strategy of KCR to take on the BJP in the coming elections. KCR will also unveil his policies and programmes for the crucial sectors of economy, agriculture, employment and river water management.

People from across Telangana as well as other states, most of them draped in pink, the official colour of the party, started flooding into the city from yesterday evening.

KCR’s plans to create a stir at the national level with the event succeeded to a large extent as Khammam turned into a sea of pink.

To cash in on the hurt and anger among the farmers, KCR has promised to replicate the Telangana model of welfare and development at the national level. That includes ensuring 24/7 power supply within two years of coming to power and financial help to 2.5 million downtrodden families.

“Under KCR, Telangana has already emerged as a role model for the entire country in various sectors, including pro-poor welfare schemes”, said senior minister T. Harish Rao, the main organiser of the event.

Much before turning TRS into a national party, KCR had started talking of bringing a qualitative change in the country through alternative politics.

KCR has been making rounds of the state to enlist the support of other opposition parties and leaders. But his insistence to keep the Congress out of any such alternative has forced some strong leaders like Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to stay away from it.