On TRS 21st Anniv., KCR Sees 'National Role' For Party But Rejects 'Political Fronts'

Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS), the ruling party in Telangana, held a plenary on the 21^st anniversary of its founding, and affirmed a national role for the party. The event was held with around 3,000 members in attendance at the Hyderabad International Convention Centre, HICC in Hyderabad.

Party Chief K Chandrashekhar Rao said that the creation of Telangana despite being ‘ridiculed’ for their demand shows the kind of transformation he seeks at the national level. One of the 11 resolutions moved at the plenary session focuses on the national aspirations of the party.

Rao also said that he does not believe in ‘political fronts;’ of ‘two or three chief ministers’ and instead wants a ‘people’s front’, saying:  We need common agenda, new integrated agricultural and industrial policy”. The Telangana chief minister has stated his national ambitions earlier as well, and attempted to pressurize the government to create a ‘one nation, one procurement’ policy for paddy farmers in the state, warning of a ‘massive agitation’.

During the plenary meeting, party members were seen cheering for the idea of transforming the party into ‘Bharat Rashtra Samiti’, and it was also announced that land has been acquired for a party office in Delhi.

Another resolution passed in the session was against ‘communal politics’, athough it did not name any party. As against the Hindutva plank of the RSS-BJP, the TRS is seeking to create a ‘secular’ narrative and image. He pointed out the ‘polarizing’ effect of events in Delhi and Bengaluru and how it dents the country’s image.

"30 lakh people work in Bengaluru in top jobs, in IT sector etc. Another 30 lakh jobs get supported because of this. But in Karnataka, they are questioning what you wear, what you eat," he said.