As Telangana goes to polls, on November 30, the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi took inspiration from Team India’s performance at the just concluded the ODI World Cup. Hoping to emulate the cricket team, the party launched a campaign asserting that, just as India will lift its third trophy, the party will also win Telangana for the third time. Leading from the front is captain K. Chandrashekhar Rao; the others include a mix of family members, seasoned politician and former bureaucrats. though the Indian team failed to win the World Cup on November 19 final, the BRS is following the same leadership with confidence that India might have file in ODI final this year to win, but BRS will be third time lucky on December 3 when the results will be out.
Here’s a look at the KCR XI: Kalvakuntia Chandrashekhar Rao. The Chief Minister and BRS president is a product of grassroots politics. Starting as a youth congress worker, KCR switched teams to play for Telugu Desam Party and defeated the seemingly invincibly Congress MLA, Madan Mohan, from Siddipet. He continued winning and eventuality became Deputy Speaker of United Andhra Pradesh.
Those who have closely interacted with him mention his meticulous planning and eagerness to grasp any subject. One of his favourite topics is agriculture, which led him to designing multiple schemes around it. In his first two terms, KCR has focussed a lot on welfare schemes for the poor and those from various communities, who form a good chunk of the party’s vote bank. Like during the past two elections, KCR, this time too, is boarding choppers to attend two or three campaign meetings every day.
K T Rama Rao, the vice captain of the team, is the first to take strike when it comes to fighting the opposition, explaining the party’s stance or championing his father’s initiatives.
The BRS working President is two — time state minister and is known, like his father, for his articulate speeches. He is also known to play pivotal role within the council of ministers in matters of information technology, corporate affairs and industrial policy, and is also involved in the development and modernisation of Hyderabad.
Harish Rao: An all—rounder who has honed his skills under the tutelage of his uncle, KCR, Harish enjoys a high strike rate; the party chief relies heavily on him for strategies and execution. During election times, he assumes the roles of trouble shooter and poll management expert, and is deployed in constituencies crucial to the party. He inherited Siddipet after his uncle vacated the seat and has consistently won it with record margins. He indirectly manages KCR’s constituency—Gajwel and oversees ground-level activities. Entrusted with the irrigation ministry to execute the Kaleshwaram project, he was later appointed to the finance ministry when the state was cash-strapped. Harish also took over as health minister during the pandemic. For the captain, his nephew, is the man for all seasons.
Vamshidhar Rao: A recent debutant from the Kalvakuntlelda family, Vamshidhar is a steadily gaining prominence within the team. He is the son of KCR’s elder brother, and has, of late been seen in the chief minister’s company. Vamshidhar plays a crucial role in KCR’s national ambition. He was appointed Maharashtra BRS in-charge this year; under him, the party recently won more than 50 gram panchayat seats there.
Palla Rajeshwar Reddy: The PhD holder and nominated MLC has been KCR’s trusted associate for a long time. Whether it is an internal party meeting, unofficial discussions, or Puja ceremony, Reddy is one of the few always seen with KCR. His significance can be gauged from the fact that he was chairman of the Rythu Bandhu Samithi, a government body formed for farmer welfare. Reddy is now gearing up to contest the assembly elections from Jangaon. He might find a place in the cabinet if BRS returns to power.
Other prominent men of KCR include: B. Vinod Kumar, D. Damodar Rao, S. Narsing Rao, Rajiv Sharma, Somesh Kumar and P. Rajasekhar Reddy. (IPA Service)
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