Sonrise in Telangana: KCR anoints KTR as his heir

Hyderabad: Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) president K Chandrasekhar Rao on Friday named his son K T Rama Rao as the party's working president, virtually anointing him as his successor while making clear his intention to concentrate more on national politics. Rama Rao, who served as IT and Industries minister in the previous TRS government, is seen to have played a key role in the party's thumping win in the recent Telangana Assembly polls and the move indicates his growing influence in the party.

The 42-year-old leader is expected to be inducted into the cabinet in its next expansion. The TRS president took over as the Chief Minister for a second term Thursday and only one minister, Mohammed Mehmood Ali, took oath along with him.

Rama Rao's appointment was necessitated as Chandrasekhar Rao will have to concentrate on national politics and also focus on various developmental activities in the state, a release from the chief minister's office said Friday. "KCR (as Chandrasekhar Rao is popularly known) has decided to concentrate more time on national politics to bring a qualitative change in the national politics.

"KCR took this decision of appointing KTR as working president with a view to entrust the responsibility of party affairs to a most trusted and efficient person, since he would be preoccupied with the government activities like expediting construction of irrigation projects...," the release said. The TRS won 88 seats in the 119-member assembly in the December 7 polls.

Soon after the results were announced, KCR declared that the TRS would play a crucial role in national politics. He has been pitching for a non-Congress, non-BJP federal front of regional parties to take on the two national parties.

Rama Rao has been entrusted the responsibilities of party membership enrolment, construction of party offices in districts and "developing the party as the strongest one", among others, the release said, adding that he has been efficiently and successfully handling his roles both in the party and government.