Municipal elections in Telangana have a distinct flavour this time as despite the ruling party being in a strong position all the ministers and MLAs are sweating it out like the Assembly or Parliament polls.
The reason is to impress the all powerful young boss, TRS working president and IT Minister K.T. Rama Rao rather than Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao with whom most of them don’t have much access. However, access to KTR is much easier and faster.
Public representatives strongly believe that KTR may take over the State reins sooner or later from his father and no wonder they are keen on impressing the young boss for their better future in the party and the government.
Sources in the party say signals are quite clear to the leaders and the cadre about the party’s future boss and the way KTR handled the ticket distribution and ministers reporting to him on day-to-day basis on the rebels issue further consolidated their view.
Strong competition
“There are strong second rung leaders as well in each constituency and the MLAs don’t want to lose out to that layer of leaders. The result is we see even senior ministers touring small wards everyday as any local leader would do,” revealed a senior leader wishing anonymity.
They are not only afraid of their future but also their kids future whom they want to handover the political baton. They are not ready to accommodate even a little bit space to second layer of leadership in the constituencies. More so with KTR putting the onus of selection, spending and success on the MLA and the ministers.
Heavy expenditure
The kind of money being spent is just unheard of, and a direct reflection of the fear factor that they would have to face the axe for laxity in the poll management and the end result. “In some wards our candidates are spending ₹ 7,000 for each vote due to the pressure from the local MLA or the Minister,” a senior leader revealed. “This is just mind boggling for local body polls.”
The result, irrespective of its nature and size, will not impact the TRS government in any way but KTR sees it as a stamp of approval from the cadre and the voters as the successor of KCR. He has already made the first successful move with TRS party flag flying high in the sarpanch, ZPTC and MPTC elections.
Senior party leaders argue that this win will be the final nail on the opposition’s coffin as well. They are in a disarray, divided among themselves, and nowhere near the strong poll management tactics that TRS had become a master at. “Of course, the dissidents within the party too will be relegated to the background,” they say.
