By Oracle
Chief Minister Kalvakuntla Chandrashekar Rao has infused a new wave of confidence among the 105 contestants of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) in his interaction with them on Sunday.
KCR’s key to success in such a confidence-building exercise comes from the trustworthiness he has built over the years. A large number of TRS activists believe KCR wholeheartedly. There is a reason for that. The TRS supremo treats a large number of senior leaders like equals.
For instance, the respect he used to give to Prof. K Jayashankar it was a few notches above himself and was much beyond the comprehension of many people who closely observed.
In fact, KCR gave the same importance to Prof Kodandaram who, however, failed to live up to that and naturally got distanced.
But, the way the Chief Minister ensures that his colleagues like Secretary-General K Keshav Rao, Deputy Chief Ministers Kadiyam Srihari and Mahmood Ali, senior Cabinet colleagues like Tummala Nageswara Rao, Talasani Srinivas Yadav, Speaker S Madhusudhana Chary and TRS Parliamentary Party leader A P Jitender Reddy are honoured sends across a right message to the other leaders and cadre.
Personal Connect
The politically-diligent KCR handles his party leaders, legislators and MPs with utmost affection and respect. KCR does his homework well. He has firsthand information about their respective constituencies, their challenges, local politics and irritants. This makes him all too familiar with individuals.
When he asked the MLA contestants to meet each and every one of the 1.75 crore beneficiaries of one scheme or the other person and motivate them to vote for the TRS, the Chief Minister is telling them to prevail upon the voters on all the schemes the Government has taken up in the last four and a half years. He wants to impress upon the people that one scheme or the other of his government has touched almost every family in the State.
When KCR has told his party MLA contestants that he is sure that the party will win 100-plus seats, he has details of each and every constituency. He is fully aware as to which candidates are “weak” or facing “challenges” in their respective Assembly constituencies. He will give them a roadmap in the coming days as to how to overcome the hitches.
With the Chief Minister’s knowledge of minutest detail that Gadwal and Nalgonda are the two districts where the TRS is facing stiff competition from the Congress, and that Grand Alliance is no competition to the TRS at other places, the contestants are extremely attentive and grew confident about their winning prospects.
Not leaving anything to chance
KCR’s caution that nothing should be left to chance and the contestants must meticulously get every voter of the party to go to the polling station and cast their vote in favour of the TRS is not a general statement. The TRS supremo has referred to the meticulous way Telugu Desam Party chief N Chandrababu Naidu made sure his party got its voters exercise their franchise in 2014 polls and how YSR Congress chief YS Jaganmohan Reddy remained overconfident and lost the battle. This is an indication of how clearly KCR is drawing up the poll strategies to the last detail.
Now that the party cadre is brimming with confidence, he is all set to the launch his election tours in the next few days.