BRS leader KT Rama Rao.
Credit: PTI File Photo
Hyderabad: BRS working president, KT Rama Rao, may soon join the list of leaders from Telugu states to take up a statewide Padayatra (Walkathon). KTR, during his 90-minute-long interaction with netizens on Thursday on social media platform X, hinted that he would launch the statewide Padayatra to expose the misdeeds of the Congress government.
In the united Andhra Pradesh Congress, leader Dr. YS Rajasekhar Reddy undertook such a padayatra and went on to become the chief minister. Since then, whoever took up padayatra in the Telugu states either became the chief minister or brought their party to power. The only exception was YS Sharmila, who tried padayatra in Telangana after launching her own party, YSRTP.
However, she was unable to make a significant impact in Telangana. In Andhra Pradesh, TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu, his son Nara Lokesh, and YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy undertook a padayatra and gained power.
In Telangana too A Revanth Reddy when he was state PCC chief in the run up to the assembly polls took up padayatra in 60 of the 119 assembly segments.
During the over-an-hour-long 'AskKTR' session, numerous people specifically sought KTR's perspective on conducting a Padayatra. They enquired when he would undertake a padayatra, noting that leaders of various parties across the country were conducting such marches to highlight the failures of governments and strengthen their parties.
Responding to this, KTR revealed that he would definitely undertake a padayatra. However, he didn't elaborate on his padayatra or divulge any other details. During this conversation, which lasted for nearly an hour, KTR shared his views on various issues with the netizens.
The BRS, which lost power to the Congress in the last year's assembly polls, faced another humiliating situation in this year's Lok Sabha elections. The BRS failed to secure a single seat out of the total 17 Lok Sabha seats in Telangana.
Since then, many have been writing obituaries for BRS, which championed the cause of separate statehood to Telangana and successfully achieved it.
BRS also faced another setback immediately after the last year's assembly polls as the party's patriarch, K. Chandrashekar Rao, had a fatal fall and underwent a hip replacement surgery, making him immobile to a large extent.
Since then, KTR and his cousin, former minister T Harish Rao, have been shouldering the responsibilities of the party. KTR is now focusing on revitalizing the party. This comes amid assertions from the chief minister,
A Revanth Reddy, and other Congress leaders that BRS will be folded up. BRS top leaders are also facing the threat of arrests by police as the Congress government has been probing at least three to four high-profile scams and scandals allegedly perpetrated during the last 10 years of BRS rule.
KTR, during the interaction with netizens, also said that after four years, it is certain that the Congress party will lose power, and it will be a huge challenge for the new government to recover from the damage done by this government and move forward. He expressed that since the Congress party took power, the state's economic progress has significantly slowed down.
He lamented that Telangana is regressing in all sectors. He said that all areas, from the state's revenue sources to the agricultural sector, are in decline. He mentioned that unemployment has increased. Many companies are leaving Telangana, he added.
KTR also said that KCR will become active from the new year onwards. KTR assured that KCR is in perfect health and continues to guide the party and all its leaders on various issues regularly.
“As a responsible opposition leader, KCR has given the newly elected government sufficient time to implement the '420' promises they made. We can expect to see more activities from KCR after the New Year,” said KTR.