Hyderabad: In a huge tactical gambit, the Telangana government on Thursday recommended dissolution of the state assembly months before its term was to end, driven by the hope its chief KC Rao’s charisma will give it a second spell in power, and the urge to avoid a “KCR vs Modi” campaign simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly polls would entail.
Ending weeks of intense speculation, chief minister Rao chaired a meeting of the state cabinet, which adopted the resolution urging Governor ESL Narasimhan to dissolve the House.
The governor accepted the recommendation soon afterwards and asked Rao, who headed the state’s first government, to continue as caretaker chief minister.
“The Governor, while accepting the recommendation of the Chief Minister and Council of Ministers has requested K Chandrashekar Rao and his Council of Ministers to continue in office as a caretaker government. Chandrasekhar Rao has agreed to this request,” a Raj Bhavan press communique said.
The Congress and some other opposition parties cried foul over the development, calling it the result of a “dubious pact” between K Chandrashekar Rao and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Speculation was rife over the last few weeks about the likelihood of Rao going for an early election as he did not want national issues raised during the next year’s Lok Sabha polls to overshadow local factors, which the TRS feels, are in its favour.
In normal circumstances, the assembly election in the state would have coincided with the Lok Sabha poll likely April-May next year.
Narasimhan is expected to send a report to the Centre on the developments and formally communicate the Telangana government’s decision to the Election Commission.
The final call on whether to conduct an early election rests with the Election Commission, which has six months till March to hold the polls.
