KTR, the new poster boy of TRS

A la Chandrababu Naidu for the TDP, the IT Minister too scripts victory for his party

February 06, 2016 12:00 am | Updated 05:46 am IST

A larger-than-life cut-out of Telangana Information Technology Minister K. Taraka Rama Rao at Telangana Bhavan in Hyderabad.- Photo: Mohammed Yousuf

A larger-than-life cut-out of Telangana Information Technology Minister K. Taraka Rama Rao at Telangana Bhavan in Hyderabad.- Photo: Mohammed Yousuf

rrespective of the political alignments that are likely to take shape to capture the GHMC top seat and the series of charges made against the ruling party for official misuse or literally riding over their political opponents, the GHMC elections have thrown up a dynamic new age leader.

The IT and Panchayat Raj Minister, who is also slated to have the Municipal Administration portfolio in his fold shortly, K.T. Rama Rao has come a long way after his return from the United States. From a literally unknown and unnoticed young man sitting in the crowd in front of the Arts College in one of the numerous meetings held in support of a separate Telangana in the mid-2000s, he emerged as the poster boy of Hyderabad. KTR has moulded himself to be a suave yet street-smart politician in the process.

The GHMC elections seemed to have helped him to discover his innate abilities to sell an idea that he was used to as the sales head of a multinational company in the United States.

His talent was in full display as he took the baton to race ahead of others in election campaign catching everyone’s attention. None could match his energy, aggression or tactics to make new political buddies, turn foes into friends and create an aura and impression that elections were won much before they were fought.

There is a striking similarity between him and the present Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu, who followed the same path in mid 90s as the Chief Minister of the united Andhra Pradesh. Babu had a necessity and an urgency to wipe away the ‘backstabber’ image that he anointed himself after taking away the majority MLAs from his towery father-in-law, N.T. Rama Rao.

It wasn’t an easy job for him to drive away the memories of NTR, the undisputed mass leader of Telugus those days. Babu saw a ray of hope in the emerging IT sector and clung onto it. He sold the dream of a new Hyderabad to people and succeeded in luring them into it. Clintons and Gates stepped into Hyderabad with his efforts and in a decade changed the contours of the ‘Charminar city’.

Elections to the then Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad (MCH) revealed how tough a nut Babu was to crack.

He stormed the old city, which has been an MIM bastion, with the promise of change and ensured his candidate Teegala Krishna Reddy wins the direct election to Mayor.

KTR had similar tough task of erasing the negative image of TRS among the industry and also gaining confidence of Andhra and Rayalaseema region voters in the twin cities after literally disowning them during the peak of Telangana agitation. Much like his father’s political friend-turned-foe-turned-friend, KTR had one and the best route to portray TRS as the new age party and not the one with archaic ideology of dividing people.

And IT sector, which has become the lifeline for the youngsters of this historic city, gave him the space to take the plunge.

The T-Hub created the buzz that Hitech city once created. A series of events involving the IT sector infused the much needed confidence in the industry leaders. Once the IT sector was convinced that KTR meant business, the confidence spiralled and spread into every related sector. It rubbed onto the common man on the street as well. It could be felt in the campaign.

Now the question is will KTR make inroads into the old city.

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