Those who closely observed Telangana Rashtra Samithi president and chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao at the Pragati Nivedana Sabha public meeting held at Kongara Kalan on the outskirts of Hyderabad on Sunday evening have expressed a common feeling: that KCR appeared very tense before speaking at the public meeting.
Even in the video with shots of KCR making an aerial survey of the public meeting from his helicopter, which was circulated in the media circles, showed that he was not at all jubilant but tense and he was hardly smiling.
There were some unconfirmed reports that KCR even had a peg or two before coming up the dais only to avoid mental stress.
Even after coming on the days, he just waved at the crowds for a few seconds and went back to his seat. The ‘josh’ was glaringly missing in his face, even though the crowds were cheering at him.
What could be the reason for his tense mood?
Reliable sources say KCR has been under tremendous pressure from his own family members, particularly his son K T Rama Rao, to go in for early elections, so that the latter could become the chief minister and KCR could try his luck in the national politics in April/May.
In fact, there were leaks to the prominent Telugu dailies that KCR might announce KTR as his successor and would anoint him as the next chief minister.
But with the federal front plan backfiring, KCR has virtually dropped the idea of going to national politics and wanted to continue for another term as the chief minister. KTR did not appreciate this, as he is too eager to become the chief minister.
And that pressure reflected in KCR’s speech. He, however, stubbornly refused to declare early polls nor did he announce KTR as his successor.
It remains to be seen how the family politics take a turn in the coming days.
