Hyderabad: With an objective of making TRS known across the nation, Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) supremo may opt for two Cabinet berths at the Centre regardless of party or alliance that forms the next government. By sharing power with the central government can only ensure the way for TRS to make its presence felt across the country. In case hung Lok Sabha happens to be a reality, then TRS will be in a more comfortable position to get the things done for the state. If everything goes well with TRS plan, the chances are brighter for Kalvakuntla Kavitha and B Vinodkumar to become Cabinet ministers. In addition to this, TRS may also take two ministries of state (MoS).

TRS is already known political entity for its great achievement of Telangana statehood, but our chief minister K Chandrashekhar Rao wants to make political ideally of the party impact the nation’s development in a more positive way, said a senior TRS leader.

TRS has set a Target-16 in the just-concluded Lok Sabha elections leaving one Hyderabad MP seat to its friendly party AIMIM. The pink party won 11 MP seats in 2014 elections. Despite having 11 MPs, KCR feels that TRS couldn’t make the impact at the national level the way he wanted. Now, by winning 16 MP seats and taking part in the central government, KCR wants to make entire India feel his political ideology and plans for economic development. For instance, KCR always raises voice over the wastage of 70,000 TMC of water in the country. If all the rivers are interlinked and use properly, India will not face water scarcity. Like this, KCR has several plans for the welfare of all sections of the society and development of the nation,” maintained the leader.

As part of the coalition governments, several regional parties smaller than TRS enjoyed the power at the Centre during the regimes of UPA and NDA governments.

Nizamabad Lok Sabha constituency in Telangana is all set to create history in India’s parliamentary elections with polling to be conducted with 12 big-sized EVMs in every polling booth as the voters have to choose from a whopping 185 candidates.

Nizamabad, going to polls along with 16 other Lok Sabha seats on April 11, will become the first constituency in the country to see polling with Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) for such a large number of candidates.

With a record number of candidates, including 178 farmers who entered the fray to highlight the demand for remunerative prices for their produce, it was thought the Election Commission (EC) will go for ballot papers as an EVM can accommodate a maximum of 64 names.

The poll panel, however, decided against the use of ballot paper and ordered Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL) to supply 26,820 EVMs, 2,240 control units and 2,600 Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trails (VVPAT) of M3 make.

With just three days left, election authorities and engineers are racing against time to make fool-proof arrangements.

Each polling station will have 12 M3 version EVMs, all connected to a single control unit and a VVPAT. These EVMS will be arranged in ‘L’ shape with each machine carrying a maximum of 16 names.

Officials said arrangements would be made for smooth conduct of polling in all 1,778 polling stations and they have set up a model polling station in the town to create awareness among voters about the polling system.

At every polling station, the officials will install flexi board with the serial numbers, names, photographs and symbols of the candidate to enable the voters to easily locate their choice.

Engineers of ECIL and Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) were busy checking the EVMs and conducting mock-polling.

One flexi board with candidates’ names and photographs was already displayed in front of the Collector’s office.

Nizamabad District Collector, M. Ram Mohan Rao, who is the Returning Officer of the constituency, said the polling personnel were trained, keeping in view the special requirements.

However, EVMs alone are not likely to solve the problem in conducting the polls as the farmers, contesting as independents, complained that they were yet to be allotted the symbols.

They urged Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Rajat Kumar to postpone the polling as it would take few days for them to popularize these symbols among voters.

The CEO said he would convey their demand to the EC, which would take final decision on the matter.

Some farmers have also approached the High Court seeking to postpone the polls to enable them to campaign and educate people about their respective symbols. Their petition is likely to come up for hearing on Monday.

The authorities are allotting a record 186 symbols including a symbol for None Of The Above (NOTA) option.

The contesting farmers argue that the polling process can’t be completed smoothly as it would take 4-5 minutes for every voter to locate the symbol of the candidate of his choice and press the button.

The constituency, with over 15 lakh voters, attracted national attention with over 200 candidates filing nominations. Majority of them were turmeric and red sorghum farmers, who wanted to register their protest over the failure of the state and Central government to ensure them higher remunerative prices and address other issues.

After scrutiny and withdrawal of nominations, 185 candidates remained in fray.

Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao’s daughter K. Kavitha is seeking re-election from the constituency. Congress party’s Madhu Yashki Goud and BJP’s D. Arvind are the other major contestants.

Hyderabad: Speculation is rife over latest remarks made by Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekhar Rao about possible scrapping of revenue department and what’s kind of impact will it make on the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections for TRS, which is spearheading the poll campaign with a ‘Target-16’ mission.

In a recent telephonic conversation with a farmer from Mancherial district, KCR had termed that revenue staff as most corrupt. Subsequently in a public meeting in Miryalaguda, KCR further referred to the problems of farmers pertaining to the revenue department and asked them to wait till June, by which Election Code concludes. KCR had assured farmers that he would take a revolutionary decision after June to free the farming community from the clutches of corrupt revenue employees once for all.

These hints of KCR have triggered speculation that the TRS government will scrap the revenue department. Naturally, all the employees of revenue department have turned cautious and have started expressing their concerns and criticising the TRS government. Other employees from different government departments are also expressing their solidarity for revenue staff.

Political analysts observe that this will impact the poll pattern and may reduce the TRS vote bank by at least one per cent.

Fearing possible similar treatment of KCR, other departments will definitely support the revenue staff and all the Telangana government employees would together protest against the TRS government, said an NGO leader.

Some NGO leaders also attribute the reason for such revolutionary decision by KCR to the latest debacle in MLC elections. TRS lost in three MLC seats from Teachers and Graduates constituencies.

Hyderabad: TRS supremo and Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekhar Rao has warned party MLAs and senior leaders about severe consequences if they don’t support and work for the victory of MP candidates. KCR became angry over the non-cooperation of MLAs and senior leaders and cautioned them to take responsibility for defeat if TRS loses in MP seats. Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) has fielded five new candidates, who’re contesting for the first time in Lok Sabha elections.

KCR had reportedly held a review meeting on Lok Sabha elections, campaigning, present situation so far, etc. Almost all the ministers, MLAs, sitting MPs and senior leaders had been called for this review meeting.

TRS is working on Target-16 mission for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections. KCR expressed his anger over the way LB stadium public meeting organised and subsequently it was cancelled owing to lack of public. TRS had planned the public meeting considering the Secunderabad, Malkajgiri and Chevella Lok Sabha constituencies.

KCR has arrived to a conclusion that lack of coordination among local leaders and motivation were prime reasons for the flop show.

During the review meeting, KCR had cautioned the party MLAs, ministers and senior leaders to resolve the problem immediately as far as lack of coordination is concerned. KCR also made it clear that party ministers and MLAs should take responsibility of the defeat in MP seats concerned.

The chief minister also spoke to MLAs and ministers, who didn’t attend the review meeting, personally and cautioned them to take immediate remedial action. KCR has also set target of surpassing majority achieved in the Assembly elections.