Former Prime Minister late PV Narasimha Rao was a hardcore Congress leader till his end.

But TRS chief and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao usurped PV’s legacy from Congress by organizing his year long birth centenary celebrations in a grand manner on behalf of Telangana government, renaming Necklace Road in Hyderabad as PV Marg, fielding PV’s daughter Vani Devi from TRS in recent Graduate MLC polls and ensuring her victory.

There was a buzz in political circles that KCR will also name one new district after PV as promised in 2014.

However, on Monday KCR announced that Warangal urban and Warangal rural districts as Warangal and Hanamkonda districts very soon.

With this, doubts surround over whether PV district will be a reality or not in future.

This also raised questions why KCR is not renaming a district after PV though he is renaming two districts now.

While Telangana CM KCR’s Warangal outing was a huge success with good participation and his lunch on diplomacy with Kadiyam Srihari, there is a discordant note too. The police have arrested a large number of Opposition activists in Warangal city who protested KCR’s visit.

As a precautionary measure, Section 144 was imposed in all those places that the CM has visited. All the shops were asked to be closed. No people’s movement was allowed in these areas.

The police, who had prior information that the Opposition leaders were trying to stage protests, cracked down on the activists from Sunday evening itself. Scores of leaders belonging to both the BJP and the Congress were taken into preventive custody. However, a large number of leaders went underground to evade arrest. They stated in their friends houses to avoid detection by the police

The police arrested several workers from leaving their houses from 6 am. Those who managed to come out of their homes, were immediately taken into custody. The Opposition activists took to social media to slam the TRS and KCR. Some have even asked how KCR, who himself led a 13-year-long agitation for Telangana, arrested protesters. Interestingly, the otherwise active TRS top brass have chosen not to respond to the criticism.

Interestingly, this is KCR’s first visit to Warangal after Corona struck the state. He has launched several works, including laying a stone for the construction of a multi-speciality hospital and Kaloji health University in Warangal. Several other completed projects were dedicated to the public. Taking advantage of this, several organisations tried to submit representation to KCR. However, as a precautionary measure,the police foiled all these attempts.

Rich tributes were paid to Telangana ideologue Prof. K. Jayashankar on his death anniversary on Monday.

Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao described Jayashankar as an ideologue who toiled for life to spread the philosophy of Telangana state in the separate statehood movement and an intellectual who always dreamt about self-governance in Telangana. The chief minister recalled the great services rendered by Jayashankar on his death anniversary.

The CM said that the Telangana state government is implementing the aspirations of Prof. Jayashankar and in tune with his thoughts, in Telangana state, the marginalized classes have become self-reliant.

He said the Telangana state is paying a befitting tribute to Prof. Jayashankar by rectifying each sector and staying in competition with other states in the country in development and achieving development in all the sectors.

The chief minister, who is on a visit to Warangal, garlanded the statue of Jayashankar at Jayashankar Park to pay tributes to the Telangana ideologue.

At a programme held at Telangana Bhavan, the headquarters of Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), party general secretary and TRS parliamentary party leader K. Keshava Rao, state Home Minister Mohammed Mahmood Ali and other leaders paid tributes to Jayashankar.

Ministers, MPs, MLAs and other TRS leaders attended various programmes held across the state to pay tributes to Jayashankar.

Whenever TRS chief and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao visits Warangal, he stays at his close friend Captain Laxmikantha Rao’s house.

KCR will have breakfast, lunch and dinner at his house. This has been the norm during Telangana statehood agitation days and even after becoming CM of Telangana.

But for the first time KCR is visiting other’s house in Warangal to have lunch today.

He is none other than Kadiyam Srihari, the former deputy CM in KCR cabinet.

Kadiyam was sidelined in TRS and government after KCR became CM for second term in December 2018. He was not taken into cabinet. His MLC term also ended recently.

At this juncture, KCR visiting Kadiyam’s house to have lunch has fuelled debate in TRS circles that good days are back for Kadiyam in TRS and political equations will change in TRS in Warangal district soon.

Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao on Saturday toured Siddipet district.

He inaugurated new integrated collectorate complex, SP office and MLA camp office.

After inaugurating new collectorate office, KCR took Siddipet district collector Venkataram Reddy to his chair and made him to sit.

Reddy seated for a while and signed few files to mark inauguration of new office.

After getting up from the seat, the collector bowed and touched the feet of KCR and sought his blessings.

Though KCR tried to stop him, the collector touched his feet.

Ministers, Chief secretary and senior officials present there were shocked at collector’s shocking act.

This drew sharp criticism from various quarters that collector mortgaged the self respect of IAS cadre officers at the feet of CM.

Some demanded Centre to initiate against collector for touching feet of CM at official programme.

Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao has convened an emergency meeting of State Cabinet on Saturday (tomorrow).

This sudden decision fuelled speculations and raised political heat in the state.

Normally, cabinet meetings are held after informing ministers and officials at least three days in advance to prepare agenda.

But the Chief Minister’s Office has sent a communication informing about cabinet meeting at night 9 pm on Friday.

Ministers who are in districts started rushing to Hyderabad on Friday night itself.

With this, ministers and officials became worried and tensed over the purpose of such an emergency cabinet meeting.

However, the CMO clarified that the cabinet meeting was convened to discuss on matters such as lifting of ongoing lockdown, rainfall, kharif agriculture season, lifting of Godavari water through Kaleshwaram project, hydel power generation and other issues.

But it failed to douse the fire as KCR alone has been taking decisions on all these issues without conducting cabinet meetings all these days and fuelling speculations that there could be something important other than these issues mainly political issues that KCR wants to discuss with cabinet ministers.

Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao will host lunch for all people in his adopted village in Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district on June 22.

The chief minister on Friday called up the Sarpanch of Vasalamarri village to inform him that he would visit the village.

KCR, as the Chief Minister is popularly known, told Pogula Anjaneyulu that he would host lunch for the entire village.

“I will make all the arrangements for food. You don’t have to do anything. I will send a team from Hyderabad,” the Chief Minister told the Sarpanch.

KCR enquired about the population of the village. The Sarpanch informed him that there are 2,600 people in the village.

The Chief Minister said food would be arranged for about 3,000 people including all officials and police personnel who will be there during his visit.

KCR also asked the Sarpanch to select a suitable venue for a public meeting to be addressed by him after the lunch. He advised him to arrange rain proof tents in view of the possibility of rain.

Stating that the government wants welfare of every household, the Chief Minister advised him to carry all people with him irrespective of party affiliations and caste.

The Chief Minister also accepted Sarpanch’s invitation to visit his house.

It was in November last year that the Chief Minister had decided to adopt the village and promised all support for its development.

The officials have chalked out plans for the development of the village, which is located about 15 km from KCR’s farm house at Erravelli in Siddipet district. The Chief Minister is likely to announce various projects for the village’s development during his speech at the public meeting.

This was the fourth village adopted by the Chief Minister. He last week announced that he will adopt an entire district to show how rural and urban development can be achieved.

Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao has decided to tour districts across Telangana from June 20 to inspect the implementation of welfare schemes and development programmes at the grassroot level.

KCR’s sudden decision to tour districts surprised all given that KCR has confined himself mostly to his Pragathi Bhavan official residence or his farmhouse since he became CM seven years ago in June 2014.

KCR remained inaccessible even to ministers, his party MLAs, MLCs, MPs etc let alone meeting people directly and hear their grievances.

This attitude of KCR has earned him the image of ‘work from home CM’.

With his hectic district tours from June 20, KCR wants to erase this image, according to TRS circles.

However, questions are being raised whether KCR will succeed in his attempts this time.

Because the earlier decisions of KCR to tour districts remained as ‘mere announcements’ as KCR had either ignored tours later or confined it to just two or three days and settled back in Pragathi Bhavan or farmhouse later.

Like other CMs, KCR hards tours districts except during elections. He comes out from Pragathi Bhavan, farmhouse during elections, addresses public meetings and returns.

But this time, KCR reportedly is serious about taking up hectic district tours to erase his bad image of confining himself to Pragathi Bhavan or farmhouse and never meeting people directly.

On one hand, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao has put government lands for sale to raise funds for welfare schemes and development programmes.

Telangana government is facing severe financial crisis due to Covid since March 2020.

On the other hand, KCR is wasting public money for purchase of Kia Carnivas SUVS.

On Sunday, KCR handed over Kia Carnival SUVs to 33 additional collectors of all districts.

KCR on Sunday held a meeting with additional collectors of all districts to review on Palle Pragathi and Pattana Pragathi programmes of TRS government.

After the meeting, KCR handed over Kia SUV to each additional collector.

Each car costs over Rs 30 lakh. Nearly 10 crore was spent to purchase these cars.

KCR justified this saying that additional collectors deserve good cars to travel and to discharge their duties effectively.

While there should be no opposition to provide the cars, what is inviting criticism is wasting public money on purchasing such high-end cars in these difficult Covid times.

Several SUVS are available within Rs 15 lakh price raising questions over why the government should waste public money on such high end cars.

The Telangana government has recently decided to sell off government lands to raise funds for welfare schemes and development programmes.

The State Cabinet has approved e-auction of lands for the purpose to raise Rs 30,000 crore.

Accordingly, big advertisements were released in TRS own media today, namely Namasthe Telangana.

The HMDA has issued advertisement putting several land parcels, plots for sale.

However, officials doubt the response to land sale in these difficult Covid times when all sectors are reeling under crisis.

The booming Hyderabad real estate sector too is facing a crisis since Covid outbreak in March 2020.

When the situation started improving in New Year 2021, the outbreak of second-wave Coronavirus in March 2021 pushed real estate into further crisis.

With salary cuts and job losses since March 2020, people are in no mood to buy properties in these times. Whatever amount they had saved, they dried up due to Covid crisis. Whatever little savings they still hold. people want to set aside for emergency needs but not invest in properties till Covid situation improves.

At this critical juncture, KCR has decided to sell off government lands. But realtors see poor response to government land sale due to ‘bad timing’ now.

While this is the situation now in Hyderabad, the Telangana government has decided to sell at least 1,000 acres in each district.

This raises questions over who will invest in districts when there is not much demand in a booming city like Hyderabad.

Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao will personally make surprise visits from next week to check the progress of Palle and Pattana Pragathi programmes (village and town progress), including the functioning of panchayati Raj and municipal officers all over the state.

Rao will also hold a review meeting with additional collectors and district panchayat raj officers (DPOs) on Sunday at pragathi bhavan on various programmes being implemented in the state.

“There is a decrease in Coronavirus cases in the state and the positivity rate has fallen to 4.7 per cent; another round of Palle and Pattana Pragathi programmes would be launched in the state,” he said in a high level review meeting of these programmes on Friday.

According to the CM, Telangana brought in new Panchayat Raj and Municipality Acts to support rural and urban areas in a big way.

Incidentally, Rs 339 crore and Rs 148 crore are being sent to the villages and municipalities development every month.

“It should be known why employees in the Panchayat Raj and Municipalities are failing to discharge their duties?” said Rao, warning that during his surprise visits if he finds any laxity on the part of the employees, he would not spare them.

Likewise, Rao instructed officials to prepare a chart for the measures to be taken to curtail seasonal diseases.

Telangana Chief Minister will undertake a state-wide tour from June 19. Though the official sources are claiming that this tour is mainly meant to take stock of the developmental works taken up under the Palle Pragathi and Pattana Pragathi schemes, the real aim is political, say those in the know.

Amid reports that several more MLAs are unhappy and might even think of backing Eatala’s rebellion, KCR reportedly feels that a state-wide tour will help in quelling the nascent revolt. Touring the districts will also help in addressing several other issues dogging the party. The groupism affecting the party in the districts also needs to be addressed. Hence KCR has decided to go on a tour of various districts.

Another key meeting with officials on Palle Pragathi and Pattana Pragathi will be held on Sunday at the Pragathi Bhavan, sources said. KCR has been allocating Rs 339 crore for the development of the gram panchayats under the Palle Pragathi scheme and Rs 148 crore for the Pattana Pragathi for the last two years. Despite the emphasis laid by him, the progress has not been satisfactory. Hence, KCR has asked the ministers, MLAs, MLCs and MPs too to get involved in these works.

Along with an inspection of these schemes, KCR is also likely to talk to various key leaders of the party to understand the situation in various districts. This will be his first state-wide tour in as many years. Sources say that his tour will help in isolating those who are planning to rebel against the government and go the Eatala way. KCR has already checkmated Eatala’s moves and this tour would further check other MLAs from playing truant.

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao has decided to auction government lands and buildings to raise funds for TRS government’s welfare schemes and development programmes like irrigation projects, roads etc.

The state cabinet recently approved to auction of government lands and buildings.

KCR’s decision drew a comparison with Andhra Pradesh CM YS Jaganmohan Reddy’ decision to sell off government lands in the name of “Build AP” in 2020-end.

Several petitions were filed against Jagan government in the AP High Court, which subsequently halted sale of government lands in AP until further orders.

Now Opposition parties are planning to move Telangana High Court against KCR government for its decision to auction government lands and residential buildings owned by Telangana Housing Board, Rajiv Swagruha Corporation etc.

The government wants to raise Rs 50,000 crore as TS government is facing severe financial crisis due to Covid and subsequent lockdowns since March last year.

Political analysts opine that KCR would also meet the same fate of Jagan as High Court may not allow indiscriminate sale of government properties.

KCR, who rarely stirs out from his Pragathi Bhavan or Farmhouse, has gone all the way to a small village called Regunta in Jagityal district on Wednesday. Well! Officially, he went to console party MLA Balka Suman, who lost his father recently. But insiders say there is much more to KCR’s Jagityal visit than meets the eye. In fact, this is his first visit to Karimnagar after Eatala Rajender left the TRS.

Jagityal is part of the undivided Karimnagar district and undivided Karimnagar is where Eatala Rajender hails from. Though KCR met Suman, discussed covid situation with officials, the real purpose, according to political pundits, is to send feelers to TDP Telangana chief LV Ramana. The TRS is desperate to bring in Ramana with the promise of making him an MLC first and a minister later. The idea is to project a BC as a counterfoil to Eatala Rajender, who too is a BC.

KCR’s visit assumes significance as BJP’s Dubbak MLA Raghunandan Rao met LV Ramana on Wednesday and asked him to join the BJP. Quite curiously, Ramana assured to consider his request. This has clearly left the TRS rattled. If Ramana joins the BJP, it would only further strengthen the anti-BC image of the TRS, say analysts.

Hence, the TRS sent feelers to Ramana through KCR’s sudden visit to Regunta. Meanwhile Ramana is a happy man these days as he has suddenly become important and everyone is rushing to him with invites to join their party. This is interesting as only a couple of months ago, Ramana lost his security deposit in the Graduate MLC election. His party is all but dead in Telangana. Yet, he has political relevance thanks to the latest political developments.