With the Election Commission of India giving its nod to the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) to change its name Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), party president and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao will formally launch the BRS here on Friday.

At a programme to be held at Telangana Bhavan, the chief minister will launch BRS at 1.20 p.m. With this, the party will officially commence its activities.

KCR, as the TRS leader is popularly known, will sign a letter in reply to the communication received from the Election Commission.

KCR will then unveil the BRS flag and unfurl it.

This was announced on Thursday after KCR received a communication from the Election Commission (EC).

The poll panel informed TRS president that the request of TRS to change its name to BRS has been accepted. “The necessary notification in this regard will be issued in due course,” reads the letter from EC.

Friday’s programme at Telangana Bhavan will be attended by executive committee members, party’s district presidents, ministers, MPs, MLAs, MLCs and other leaders.

KCR has also asked Zilla parishad chairpersons, heads of various corporations and other leaders to attend the programme.

The TRS at its general body meeting on October 5 had decided to change its name to BRS to expand its activities to other states.

Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao will lay foundation stone for Hyderabad Airport Express Metro next month.

The 31-km long project will connect the information technology district Hitec City to Rajiv Gandhi International Airport at Shamshabad.

Municipal administration and Urban Development Minister K. T. Rama Rao revealed that the chief minister will lay the foundation stone on December 9.

“Hyderabad is Forging Ahead. Happy to announce that Hon’ble CM KCR Garu will be laying the foundation for Airport Express Metro on 9th December,” minister KTR tweeted.

“This project starting at Mindspace junction to Shamshabad Airport will be 31 KM long & will be costing approximately Rs 6,250 crore,” he wrote.

The state government had allocated Rs 377.35 crore for the project in 2022-23 budget.

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has already prepared a detailed project.

The proposed high-speed Airport Express Metro will contain both elevated and underground sections. About 2.5 km of the total stretch will be underground.

Once completed, the project will help commuters reach the airport in just 20 minutes.

Bio-Diversity Junction, Nanakramguda, Narsingi, TS Police Academy and Rajendranagar are likely to be some of the stations on the stretch.

The city already has fully operational Hyderabad Metro Rail spanning over 69 kms. The elevated Metro is operating on three corridors.

The state government has urged Central Government to accord in-principle approval for the Hyderabad Metro Rail Phase -II Project from BHEL to Lakdikapul costing Rs 8,453 crore as a jointly owned project of Union Government and Government of Telangana State (GoTS) with external financial assistance.

In a letter addressed to Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, state minister KTR requested him to include the said proposal in the ensuing union budget for 2023-24. The new Metro Line is proposed to be of 26 kms long with 23 stations.

To avoid delays in processing, Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) of the project (as prepared by DMRC) and other related documents were sent to Government of India by the Telangana Government on October 27, 2022, the Minister added.

The Minister said that Hyderabad is the fastest growing Metropolitan city in terms of quarterly and year on year growth of real estate sector especially since 2019-20. With the opening up of all the offices in post-COVID scenario, the need for expansion and strengthening of public transportation system needs no emphasis, he added.

Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao on Saturday expressed happiness over successfully placing into the space orbit the two Nano satellites launched from Sriharikota by Telangana-based Dhruva Space Tech, a Hyderabad-based private start-up.

CM KCR said that the successful launch of two nano satellites – ‘Thybolt 1 and Thybolt 2’ sent by the Hyderabad start-up company along with ISRO’s PSLV-C54 is a milestone in the history of the country’s enterprising startups.

The Chief Minister described that the launch of the satellites by the private sector as a great success.

He noted that with the success of the recently launched ‘Vikram-S’ satellite, Telangana start-up company and T-Hub member ‘Sky root’ created history by becoming the first private company in the country to launch a satellite.

The Chief Minister said that, with these experiments, Hyderabad start-up companies opened doors of new opportunities in the Indian space sector.

He stated that the success of the recent launch of “Vikram S” and Saturday’s launch of “Thybolt 1 and Thybolt 2” gave a good start to the launch of private rockets aimed at increasing India’s share in the global space economy.

The Chief Minister said that these two successful satellite experiments brought laurels to Telangana worldwide.

He claimed that Hyderabad’s prominence as a start-up city has doubled through these satellite launches.

He called it just a beginning and exuded confidence that the T Hub, which has been started with an aim of bringing out the talent of enthusiasts and creating opportunities in the fields of science and technology and industry, will achieve many more milestones in the future.

CM KCR congratulated the representatives of ‘Skyroot’ and ‘Dhruva’ space start-ups who, with the encouragement of T-Hub, created satellites through their start-up companies and successfully launched them.

He called on the youth to work with the same spirit to spend their intellectual wealth for the country’s progress and work for India development.

The Chief Minister made it clear that the Telangana government will always stand by the young men and women who are showing their talent to the world and making their brilliant ideas a reality through their start ups.

He congratulated young leader and state IT and Industries Minister K.T. Rama Rao and senior officers and staff of T-Hub for working hard to bring out the talents of the young men and women who are passionate about science and technology.

Telangana, which has already set an example for the country in many fields and is moving fast in the development, unveiled another landmark event, according to a note from the Chief Minister’s Office.

The state of Telangana, which has been bringing out the talent of new generations by promoting start-up companies and making sky the limit, created another record in the history of start-ups in the country and in the history of launching private satellites into space.

Under Chief Minister KCR’s vision and efforts of Rama Rao, the youth members in the T-Hub, set up by the Telangana government, are creating miracles in many fields with their talent.

The successful experiments of the satellites conducted earlier and on Saturday carried Telangana’s glory into space.

The start-up company Skyroot Aero Space Private Limited, created and successfully launched India as first private rocket a ‘Vikram-S’ earlier. It is a Hyderabad T Hub startup company developed with the encouragement of Telangana Government in collaboration with Telangana Hardware Incubator ‘T Works’.

While the whole country is discussing the success of the previous experiment, today another amazing experiment in space has taken place by another Telangana start-up company from Hyderabad.

Two more satellites sent by Dhruva Space Corporation from Sriharikota on Saturday were successful. With this, the whole country cheered once again.

The entire world is praising the success of the start-up companies with the support extended by the Telangana government, the note added.

Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao expressed shock over the killing of Forest Range Officer Srinivasa Rao by tribals in Bhadradri Kothagudem district and announced Rs 50 lakh ex-gratia for the family of the slain officer.

The Chief Minister conveyed his condolences to the family of the FRO.

He directed Director General of Police Mahender Reddy to take action to ensure harshest punishment to the guilty.

The Chief Minister also directed officials to ensure that the slain FRO’s family receive his salary every month and after the retirement age, the pension.

KCR, as the Chief Minister is popularly known, also asked officials to provide government job to a family member of the FRO on compassionate grounds.

He directed Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar to arrange for the last rites of the FRO with state honours. He also wanted Forest Minister A. Indrakaran Reddy, minister from undivided Khammam district P. Ajay Kumar to attend the last rites and monitor all arrangements.

KCR made it clear that the government will not tolerate attack on any government employee discharging his duties.

Assuring that the government will stand by the government employees, the Chief Minister asked them to discharge their duties without fear.

Chandrugonda Forest Range Officer (FRO) Chalamala Srinivasa Rao (42) was killed in the attack by some tribals claiming right over podu lands.

The cultivators belonging to the Guttikoya tribe attacked him with sharp-edged weapons near Yerrabodu in Bendalapadu forest area.

The incident occurred when the officer tried to protect the plantation taken up by the Forest Department.

Telangana’s Director of Public Health Dr G. Srinivasa Rao, who triggered a row last week by touching feet of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, defended his action on Sunday and said that he will do this 100 times.

The officer told reporters during a programme in Kothagudem that the Chief Minister is like his father and is leading Telangana on the path of progress and that it is his good fortune that he got an opportunity to touch his feet.

“Some people are creating a fuss. I will touch the Chief Minister’s feet 100 times,” Srinivasa Rao said.

On November 15, the top Health Department official was seen touching the Chief Minister’s feet not once but twice during an event at the latter’s official residence.

The video clip of the same went viral. The occasion was the launch of eight new government medical colleges by the Chief Minister.

Srinivasa Rao was seen first presenting a bouquet to KCR to greet him as soon as the latter entered the hall where the event was organised and then touching his feet. The official then took out a paper from his trouser pocket and handed it to the CM, who kept the same in his shirt pocket.

Srinivasa Rao was then seeing pleading with the Chief Minister with folded hands.

The Director of Public Health again touched the feet of KCR when he was leaving. The official once again made some request with folded hands.

It was not clear what was the written and oral requests of the official but there have been speculations that he is trying to get a TRS ticket to contest next Assembly election.

The official’s action drew flak from various quarters. Opposition parties and netizens called it an act of sycophancy.

In June last year, then District Collector of Siddipet, P. Venkatramana Reddy had sparked a row by touching feet of the Chief Minister during inauguration of the new building of the Collector’s office.

He had also defended his action by stating that the Chief Minister is like his father. Five months later, he took voluntary retirement to join politics and KCR made him a member of Telangana Legislative Council.

Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar on Tuesday ruled out early Assembly elections in the state, but asked the party leaders to start preparations for the elections scheduled in the latter part of next year.

At a key meeting of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) at the party headquarters Telangana Bhavan here, KCR, as the Chief Minister is popularly known, made it clear that elections will be held as scheduled.

He, however, said that since there are only about 10 months left for the elections, party leaders and cadres should gear up for the polls from now.

KCR also asked the party leaders to take to people a plethora of welfare and development schemes being undertaken by the state government.

On TRS’ victory in the recent by-election to the Munugode Assembly seat, the Chief Minister asked the party leaders to continue working with the same spirit.

TRS MPs, MLAs, MLCs and party executive members attended the meeting.

KCR also made it clear that sitting MLAs will get party tickets again.

He advised the MLAs to remain among people, interact with them and if there are any problems, bring them to the government’s notice.

The TRS chief exuded confidence that TRS will score a hat-trick by retaining power in next year’s polls.

Claiming that all surveys are in favour of TRS, KCR said TRS will win the elections ‘100 per cent’.

KCR also asked the party cadres to effectively counter the BJP. Referring to the recent arrest of three alleged BJP agents for trying to lure four TRS MLAs with offer of huge money, he said that attempts are being made to topple the state government.

The TRS chief said while BJP succeeded in pulling down governments in other states, it was caught red-handed in Telangana.

The Chief Minister made it clear that law will take its own course in the MLA poaching case.

He also asked TRS leaders not to get scared by CBI and ED raids.

The Congress party and the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) continued to trade barbs a day after Rahul Gandhi ridiculed Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s national political ambitions.

TRS working president K.T. Rama Rao on Tuesday took a dig at the Congress MP with the remark that international leader Rahul Gandhi who can’t even win his own Parliament seat in Amethi ridiculed KCR, as the Chief Minister is commonly known.

“Wannabe PM should first convince his people to elect him as an MP,” tweeted Rama Rao on a day when Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra entered Hyderabad.

At a news conference on Monday, Rahul Gandhi poked fun at KCR with the remark that he is welcomed to even believe that he is running a global party.

When asked about the decision of TRS to enter national politics by changing its name to Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), the Congress leader had stated that any leader has the right to imagine his party in whatever way he wants.

He went on to day that the Chief Minister is even welcomed to think that he is running an international party that is fighting elections in the US or China.

“If the Chief Minister of Telangana believes that he is running a national party, that is perfectly okay. There is no problem, he can believe it. If he believes that he is running a global party, that is also fine,” Rahul Gandhi said.

Congress general Jairam Ramesh fired more salvos on Tuesday and said: “Rahul Gandhi ji has already said that if KCR is dreaming that TRS becomes Global Rashtra Samithi (GRS), we have no problem.

“If he wants to become GRS, let me remind him that in 2007 TRS was stuck in a passport scam. You may remember there was a big passport scam and several TRS leaders were involved in it. I want to remind KTR of the history of TRS.”

The Congress leader also called KCR the 8th Nizam, saying: “We live in a democracy. Congress is not a party which runs on Nizam Shahi. We know the 8th Nizam is sitting in Hyderabad.”

The Congress MP slammed the TRS government for the bad condition of roads in Telangana even after eight years of the state’s formation.

“Who benefited from the formation of Telangana? This is our question. Dalits, adivasis and backward classes have not benefited. Only one person and one family benefited.”

The Congress leader also disputed the claim of TRS leaders that they developed Hyderabad in the last eight years.

He claimed that the city developed in the last 30 years especially when Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy was the Chief Minister.

He recalled that Hyderabad was the information technology capital before 2014. “Institutions like DRDO, CSIR, ISB, NALSAR and Shamshabad airport all came up before 2014,” he said.

Ramesh said the development in Hyderabad happened due to efforts of former Chief Ministers Rajasekhara Reddy, Chandrababu Naidu, Vijayabhaskar Reddy, N.T. Rama Rao.

“The TRS has done nothing. They have inherited a lot,” he remarked.

Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Sunday said ‘Delhi brokers’ tried to buy Telangana self-respect by offering Rs 100 crore to four MLAs of Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS).

In his first reaction to the ‘MLAs poaching’ case, KCR said those working for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and playing key roles in RSS came to buy the MLAs have landed in jail.

He said there should be a thorough investigation to find out where the money came from and who is behind it. “Those behind it have no right to continue in office even for a minute,” he said.

KCR paraded four MLAs at an election rally in Munugode Assembly constituency on Sunday and praised them for refusing to be sold like cattle and upheld Telangana self-respect and democracy.

Three alleged agents of BJP including two godmen were arrested by Cyberabad police on October 26 while trying to ‘buy’ four MLAs.

The TRS chief wanted to know from where these hundreds of crores came to buy the MLAs. He alleged that the BJP is buying MLAs to topple governments in various states.

“I am asking Mr Narendra Modi. What more do you want? There is no higher post in the country than the Prime Minister. You got the chance twice. Why this cruelty. Is this good for the country and the society? You should explain to the people,” he said.

“What people saw on television is just a little lit. There is more, enough to shake Delhi throne. It will come out in the days to come,” he said.

The Chief Minister told the people that he would not comment further on the case. “I am holding the constitutional post of the Chief Minister. I would not like to say more as the case is in the court.”

He said the BJP government at the Centre has no money to procure paddy from Telangana but has hundreds of crores to buy the MLAs.

KCR appealed to people of Munugode not to get lured by any offers or false promises and to teach a lesson to the BJP.

The TRS leader said an unnecessary by-election was imposed on the people of Munugode. Referring to the recent decision of TRS to go national by changing its name to Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), he said people of Munugode have got an opportunity to lay a strong foundation for BRS.