KCR playing mind game with BRS cadres!

A press communique issued by the Chief Minister’s Office of Telangana that chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao will be holding his cabinet meeting at Dr B R Ambedkar Telangana state secretariat at 2 pm on December 4 has surprised everybody.

The surprise is for more than one reason: First, the cabinet meeting is scheduled to take place a day after the declaration of assembly elections in the state – on December 3.

Secondly, KCR is an acting chief minister till the poll process is completed, which according to the Election Commission, is December 5.

Thirdly, KCR government cannot take any policy decisions when the model code of conduct is in force till December 5.

So, the only reason for KCR to hold a cabinet meeting would be resigning from his present position, thereby ending the government, irrespective of whether his party – Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) wins the elections or not.

If the BRS wins, KCR will resign from his chief minister post, submits the same to the Governor and gives a separate letter staking claim to form the government again.

If the BRS loses, too, he should do the same, asking the Governor to invite the other party to form the government.

But for any of these decisions, KCR does not need to call for cabinet meeting three days in advance and issue a press statement to that effect. It is mandatory and shall happen automatically.

By releasing such a media communication, KCR apparently wants to send a message to the people as well as cadre that he is going to come back as the chief minister for the third successive term.

This has caused surprise, as many of the ministers in his cabinet are not sure of winning their assembly seats again. There are reports that even KCR might lose the elections and so will be his son K T Rama Rao.

So, what message KCR will be giving by holding a meeting with defeated ministers? Well, this is just a mind game being played for the sake of his party cadres, say observers.