In all likelihood, Telangana Rastra Samithi’s plenary to mark its foundation day on April 27 will not be a massive affair this year also.
Chief Minister and TRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao proposed that this year’s plenary will be a huge congregation of party cadres, leaders from village, mandal to district level to mark the 20th anniversary of the party.
The plenary could not be held on a large scale for the last two years – because of Lok Sabha elections in 2019 and last year it was Covid-19 that brought everything to a standstill when lockdown was announced in March last week for about a month.
This year’s plenary assumed importance because of the changing political dimensions in the State as well as country and the ambition of the BJP to capture power in the State in the 2023 Assembly elections.
Plenary is the time when party leadership takes stock of socio-political, economic situations in the State and mull new strategies, evolve action plans, review implementation of election manifesto assurances given to people and give direction to the party cadre.
It is also the time to train and give orientation to the new as well as existing members and explain to them about the party’s programmes, schemes and future goals so that they in turn would take it to the people.
A senior party leader said that it has been decided to confine the plenary to a meeting of delegates not exceeding a prescribed number. The situation will be reviewed from time to time.
A few months back, there was speculation that with several non-BJP State governments facing the brunt of what they call ‘authoritarian’ attitude of the NDA government at the Centre, regional party leaders might have to work out a strategy to provide an alternative to the BJP in the next general elections.
In such a scenario, the attention and time of KCR may be required for coordinating with other regional parties and he may hand over the baton to the TRS working president KT Rama Rao who proved his organisational skills as well as administrative acumen as the Minister for key departments of IT, Industry and Municipal Administration and Urban Development.
However KCR himself reprimanded those talking about change in leadership at the State and put the speculation to rest.
He wanted everyone to focus on strengthening the organisational structure and party network from village, mandal, district to State level before the plenary session of the party.
The party recently completed its membership drive under the direction of KTR, enrolling more than the targeted 65 lakh members. It also captured the two Graduate MLC seats despite stiff competition from BJP and Independents.
Sources said that the original idea was to organise plenary sessions and a huge public meeting with about one lakh party workers to compensate for the tame affairs of the last two years.
KCR wanted party MLAs, MLCs, MPs, and other leaders to select the venue for the plenary. However in the changed scenario of re-emergence of Covid, the Centre directing all the States to strictly adhere to Covid appropriate behaviour till April 30, huge congregations will no longer be possible.
A senior TRS leader said that it has been decided to confine the plenary to a meeting of delegates not exceeding a prescribed number. For now, the party leaders and workers are focused on the upcoming Nagarjuna Sagar by-election on April 17 and the counting will be taken up on May 2.
So far there is no serious talk about the arrangements for the limited edition of annual plenary meeting either. #KhabarLive #hydnews
