TRS chief files papers for LS, state assembly

The founder-president of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) K Chandrasekhar Rao, in a calculated move to retain advantage, filed nomination papers for both Lok Sabha (LS) and state assembly seats on Wednesday, the last day for filing of nominations for the first phase of elections in Telangana.

KCR, as the TRS chief is known popularly, will be contesting the Lok Sabha seat from Medak and the assembly seat from Gajwel, both in the same district. The TRS chief, considered as the architect of Telangana statehood movement, came in a huge procession of supporters to the Ranga Reddy district collector’s office in nearby Sangareddy to file his nomination papers.

Medak, once represented by late prime minister Indira Gandhi, is currently represented by actress-turned-politician Vijayashanti, who recently switched loyalties from TRS to Congress. She has been fielded by the Congress from Medak assembly seat, and she too filed her nomination papers on Wednesday.

KCR’s game-plan in filing nominations for both parliament and state assembly is that if the party, which is going alone in the April 30 elections in Telangana, wins majority of the Assembly seats, he will become the first chief minister of the new state of Telangana which will come into effect on June 2.

In the event that the TRS does not manage to muster the numbers to form the government in the new state, which many believe is unlikely, KCR will then shift his focus to the centre as an MP, and hopes to play a key role with his party expected to bag at least 10 of the 17 Lok Sabha seats in Telangana.

• India