Telangana: Where is KCR? What son KTR says about his comeback

Where is BRS supremo K Chandrashekhar Rao? He has kept a noticeably low profile ever since the Congress came to power in Telangana last year and, even with his daughter K Kavitha caught in the Delhi liquor scam row, his son KT Rama Rao (or KTR) has largely been the face of the party.

The architect of Telangana’s statehood and its first and two-term chief minister underwent a hip replacement surgery last year is likely to return to public life next year, KTR told a user during the 90-minute Q&A session on X, #AskKTR, on Thursday (October 31).

“You will probably see a lot more of him in 2025 and beyond,” the party’s working president told the user.

“He guides us daily”

KTR also claimed that his father, as a responsible Opposition leader, was deliberately allowing the Congress government enough time to “deliver on their 420 promises”.

“He is perfectly healthy and guides us daily,” he assured the user who asked after KCR’s health.

KTR also countered claims of his father’s political end by the Congress, asserting that “As long as Telangana exists, the legend named K Chandrashekhar Rao will live on”.

Also read: Telangana minister Surekha now claims KTR behind KCR’s ‘disappearance’

“Voter fatigue, anti-incumbency”

Asked for his opinion on the party’s electoral setback in the recent past, bagging zero seats in the Lok Sabha polls earlier this year, KTR blamed it on “general voter fatigue and anti-incumbency after two successive terms [in state government]”.

He refused to admit that the party had lost touch with the people but claimed it had failed in perception management, people management, and effective communication of development and welfare initiatives.

“On top of that, Congress through its false promises created a false hope which was key,” he replied to a user, saying the polarisation between NDA and INDIA camps also played a role in the Lok Sabha polls. The BRS refused to join either.

He refused to blame the party MLAs, though, and said several factors contributed to the election outcome.

Also read: Telangana | KTR accuses Revanth of tapping phones of own ministers, Opposition leaders 

BRS focusing on “winning back Telangana”

Regarding the plans the BRS has to counter the Congress government, KTR said they were “strengthening the party wings and [planning on] decentralisation to make it more powerful”. He added that they are “currently focused on playing the role of principal opposition and holding [the government] accountable for the decisions and promises”.

“We will hold them accountable both in the Assembly and in the people’s court,” he asserted, urging citizens to raise the issues of poor roads or sanitation with local representatives.

On being asked why the BRS was not contesting in Maharashtra, he clarified that it was “focusing more on…winning back…Telangana”. “Had we won the assembly elections, it would’ve been a different story altogether in parliament elections and [Maharashtra] too,” he added.

Also read: Telangana: KTR files ₹100 crore defamation suit against Minister Surekha 

Chance to groom loyal leaders

While admitting that switchovers by BRS MLAs and leaders to the Congress was indeed a challenge, KTR argued that it was also an opportunity to groom young loyal leaders. He pointed out that with BRS MLAs defecting to the Congress, Assembly bypolls had become inevitable in 10 constituencies.

As several users asked whether he had any plans for a state-wide padayatra (foot march), KTR remained non-committal, joking that he needed to strengthen himself first for the arduous task.

He sounded confident about the BRS’s strong comeback, asserting that “it is the people that make the leaders, not the other way around”.