Who is Number-2 in Telangana government, KT Ramarao and T Harish Rao?
Even though circumstances are in favor of KT Ramarao, IT and Panchayat Raj minister, many avoid to answer this embarrassing question as nobody wants to tell Harish Rao is lagging behind. Clearly sympathies are with him.
Harish Rao has been with the party ever since KCR discovered the political potential of the Telangana slogan, and is known for his organizational skills. He is an excellent communicator.
Though entered politics later than Harish, KTR is equally talented. Both are asset to the party and its founder. But, the debate doesn’t end there. Who is the heir apparent of KCR? Because KTR is his son, KCR should naturally prefer KTR to Harish. In public, chief minister KCR appears to be giving equal importance to both. KCR takes every precaution to convey that he won’t promote anybody.
But, the promotion is going on surreptitiously. If you decipher the meaning of the recent developments, you can easily measure the distance KTR traveled ahead of Harish. KTR has already become number 2 in the TS and T-government.
In the past couple of months, when KCR confined himself to the farm house, KTR filled the void his father left behind in politics and government. He has become the most visible political figure in the state. Especially, in state capital, Hyderabad, he is the man unofficial in-charge of affairs. Technically, he is only the minster for IT and Panchayat Raj. Municipal and Urban development is not his subject. He is not even the in-charge minister for Hyderabad district. Still he is accorded top honors and deputy chief minister Md Ali normally ignored in the programs both are present.
In the past two months KTR was seen everywhere in GHMC area- in inaugurations, foundation laying programs and other launchings of developmental programs. Officials extended unusual protocol for him. This gives an impression that he is working as in-charging of GHMC . Since December first week, KTR has participated, either as the guest of honor or chief guest, in more than a dozen programs organized by GHMC itself. These programs include laying foundation for 2BHK houses, markets, inauguration of RTO offices and visits to Metro rail stations. As for Metro Rail, he talked as if he was the spokesperson.
This honor is not available to any of the ministers, who are citizens of Hyderabad such as deputy chief minister Mohmood Ali, ministers Nayani Narasimha Reddy, Talasani Krishna Yadav and T Padma Rao. Even in the plaques erected at these functions KTR’s name appears prominently without fail. Official are so meticulous in extending to protocol to him that in the rush they forgot to include the name of housing minister Indrakaran Reddy in the plaque related to 2BHK program in Rasoolpura. In the same vein, in the plaques prepared for the foundation stones for tanks in Hyderabad, Ramarao name appeared and irrigation minister Harish Rao’s name is conspicuously absent.
These incidents clearly demonstrate that KTR is undeclared Number-2 in TS and T-government.
