Editorial: Takeaways from TRS plenary

The recent plenary session of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi had two significant takeaways – one that it served as the platform for a soft launch of the pink party’s campaign with a clear direction of the path that it would take as part of the electoral strategy, and secondly, the party’s whole-hearted thumbs up to […]

The recent plenary session of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi had two significant takeaways – one that it served as the platform for a soft launch of the pink party’s campaign with a clear direction of the path that it would take as part of the electoral strategy, and secondly, the party’s whole-hearted thumbs up to TRS president and Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao’s inevitable entry into national politics, a demand that has been growing by the day. The TRS president’s forceful statement on the need for a change in national thinking, of bringing in a new meaning to politics solely driven by development agenda, implementing true inclusiveness to ensure that the hard-earned fruits of Independence reach all sections of society was not mere political rhetoric but based on the success story of Telangana, a State that has flummoxed everyone with the phenomenal growth it has registered on all fronts in double-quick time. Given the federal structure of the country, Rao’s argument that development and progress of States were integral to the nation’s overall development is undeniably a strong and logical statement that would be difficult to counter. Even as he made a strong case for replication of the Telangana model of development at the national level, the TRS president was also categorical in stating that there would be brainstorming sessions with economists, intelligentsia and former bureaucrats to identify flaws in not only policy-making but also loopholes in policy implementation. The Chief Minister, who has time and again expressed his concern over the growing polarisation in the country triggered by the divisive politics pursued by the BJP, was vocal while emphasising the urgent need to check such destructive practices of the ruling disposition at the Centre that could prove to be catastrophic for the nation. Rao was right in questioning the so-called threat to Hinduism in the country as claimed by the BJP while pushing its Hindutva agenda when he pointed out that the administration, be it at the national level or in States, was mostly in the hands of Hindus. These issues can be expected to be highlighted by the TRS in the run-up to the Assembly elections in Telangana.

The second and more important factor that emerged was the demand and need for a visionary, pluralistic and committed leader like Rao to take the lead in the fight against the BJP. TRS working president KT Rama Rao, who introduced a resolution on the party’s role in national politics, weaved together several arguments ranging from the acknowledgment of Rao’s leadership qualities, and his sense of integrity and commitment to cause by eminent personalities including former President Pranab Mukherjee and former union Minister Arun Jaitley. The fact that Rao’s innovative policies and schemes had proved to be hugely successful and found worthy of replication not only by other States but also the Centre make him the fit candidate for a leadership position at the Centre, Rama Rao argued that found vociferous support from all the delegates. All in all, the plenary session may have just defined the political path that the TRS would tread in the days to come.

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