The fallout reasons of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and his long time associate Eatela Rajender, who was with him right from the inception of TRS, have turned feotic with each other continues to be a mystery.
Anyone familiar with the style of functioning of the TRS supremo is aware that he will get rid of people quietly without much ado if he felt they crossed the line but what happened in the case of Eatela surprised even veteran party leaders.
Usually soft spoken and humble looking, Eatela is known for making incisive speeches and convincing arguments either in the Assembly or outside to defend the party and put the opposition in its place.
It was when reports were doing rounds in the media in 2019 that KCR was contemplating a Cabinet reshuffle and that Eatela and a couple of other Ministers might be dropped that a buzz began that things were not what they seemed between KCR and Eatela.
It was then he made what later became widely reported remark that “We are the owners of the pink flag and my minister’s post is not of any beneficence”.
Those strong comments put a stop to the speculation and put off the cabinet reshuffle too for some time. Eatela also warned some detractors were spreading charges of corruption against him. He said he made enough money through his poultry business which he owned since several years before he entered politics.
In the recent months too, he made remarks in support of agitating farmers and that “If we ignored them for long, they could bring the fight to our doorstep too”.
Similarly on another occasion, Eatela said mere welfare schemes and fighting for reservations would not alleviate poverty and it was not what Dr Ambedkar envisaged for Dalits and the downtrodden.
Though Eatela said he did not direct his remarks against anyone and it was his nature to speak his mind on social issues, apparently they did not go down well with party leadership.
When there was frenzied speculation a couple of months ago that party working president and Minister KT Rama Rao would be anointed Chief Minister and KCR would focus on a national role and revive efforts for the formation of Third Front, it was opposition leaders who said Eatela would be more suitable for the post. Apparently that must have put the party leadership in a spot ahead of the graduate MLC elections.
Later, KCR himself reprimanded party members and leaders for such speculation and told them in no uncertain terms that he would continue as CM.
Now, the developments of the last two days which Eatela described as vindictive action to mar his reputation again gave rise to analysis that the party leadership resorted to his character assassination so as to ease the outspoken Eatela out of the Cabinet and pave way for KTR’s smooth elevation.
However, Eatela said it was quite common for the children of regional party leaders to take over the mantle of Chief Ministership and it would never have been an issue. He also said Lokesh was supposed to succeed N Chandrababu Naidu at one point even though he was not capable. He had never thought of leaving the party or forming his own party so far.
Eatela said as an associate who followed KCR as Telangana movement leader for 14 years and served in his Cabinet, he had no inkling why KCR turned vindictive against him and branded him as a land grabber without even asking for his explanation while ignoring such allegations about others.
If his property purchased decades ago today was valued in crores, it would be so for KCR’s farm house too, he said. #KhabarLive #hydnews
