Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Thursday gave a brief and long interview to a national channel in Hyderabad. Starting from challenges in building new state to becoming an ally of BJP in upcoming election, KCR opened on various queries. Interviewer Rajdeep Sardesai, who was awestruck with KCR’s self-confidence, spoke to a Telugu news channel later in the day said that he sensed confident, determined and a leader who’s overcome all the insecurities in KCR.
Referring to Chief Minister of Telangana, Rajdeep said he is a ‘grand old man of Telangana’ who was relatively uncertain of his future three years ago (before the formation of state). KCR, who spoke about Centre-state relations and reservations, has threw indications that he will comfortably reclaim the power in upcoming election as well.
The other sensitive question KCR answered was on growing the reservation demand above 50% and he did not shy away from putting it this way – ‘why can’t we (Telangana) have 90% reservation for all the weaker, poorer and minority sections, if Tamil Nadu can have 69% quota?’. The leader of state also made clear that center must share resources with the state (financial support) as future of nation is not in Delhi, but in Hyderabad.
Having known about KCR before 2014, Rajdeep praised ‘he’s more impressive now and very well branding the state’. The senior journalist also predicted that KCR may not be part of NDA coalition prior to election instead he may look to partner with the government after the polls. ‘I think he has realized that if he’s able to control Telangana, I will have more power with center and dictate terms to them,’ said Rajdeep.
Although KCR asked Rajdeep not to compare Telangana with AP, the senior journo summed it up as ‘three years ago, all were worried what will happen to these two states, but the two forward-looking Chief Ministers are ruling two vibrant state in a competitive space,’ he said by adding “the Telugu identity must grow.”