KCR’s Son KTR to be Sworn in as Telangana CM Soon, Says Dy Speaker, Date Pencilled in

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s son KT Rama Rao will soon be sworn in as the next CM, Deputy Speaker of the state Assembly and senior party leader T Padma Rao Goud said on Friday.

In an exclusive conversation with News18, Goud said that the development will take place in a very short time. He said, “KTR has the ability to become Chief Minister and he will become the CM of Telangana in a short while.” Goud, however, refused to divulge the date of the swearing-in. It has been speculated that the KTR may take oath on February 18.

A senior minister in the Telangana cabinet on Wednesday said, “Yes, the next CM is KTR. It will happen mostly in February. They are discussing within their family. Many changes will take place in the cabinet too.”

“There is a chance, why not? There is nothing wrong with it. Ninety-nine percent of the programmes are being reviewed by KTR in our government. He also participated in the COVID-19 vaccination programme on the behalf of his father – the Chief Minister. Whether KCR attended or not is not an issue here,” health minister Etela Rajender said during an interview with 10TV News.

Sources in the TRS had earlier said that the party was divided over the issue of succession and majority had favoured KCR’s continuation as CM till the next assembly elections. However, recently many party leaders have admitted in private that KTR’s rise will be a natural succession of power. This would allow KCR to focus on national politics, according to the sources.

KCR’s nephew and state finance minister, T Harish Rao, who was believed to be one of the contenders for the top post in Telangana, has seen a diminished role of late. The Chief Minister’s daughter K Kavitha has recently entered the Upper House in the state legislature after her shocking loss in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Nizamabad.