Telangana Cabinet may recommend Assembly dissolution

Telangana may be heading for early Assembly polls as a meeting of the state Cabinet likely to be held here early Thursday will recommend dissolution of the house.

However, the suspense continues whether the meeting will be held early morning or in the afternoon. Ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) sources earlier hinted that the meeting could be held at 6 a.m.

Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has asked his Cabinet colleagues to be available in the state capital.

The TRS chief considers '6' his lucky number and that's the reason cited for not taking the decision during the Cabinet meeting on September 2, which was held hours before the massive public meeting organised by the ruling party to sound the poll bugle.

The Chief Minister's Office usually releases press statements on Cabinet meetings but there was no official announcement till late Wednesday. However, there were indications that the Cabinet meeting could be held in the afternoon.

The Cabinet is expected to pass a resolution to recommend to Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan to dissolve the Assembly, whose term is till May 2019. Assembly elections in normal course would be conducted along with the Lok Sabha polls.

The Chief Minister held detailed discussions with Chief Secretary S.K. Joshi and other top officials, apart from a series of meetings with top party leaders.

The Chief Secretary, the government's Chief Adviser Rajiv Sharma, CM's Principal Secretary S. Narsing Rao and Legislative Assembly Secretary Narasimhacharyulu called on Narasimhan on Wednesday.

After recommending dissolution of Assembly, KCR will launch the TRS election campaign with a public meeting at Husnabad in Siddipet district a day later.

Christened 'Prajala Aasirwada Sabha', this will be the first of 100 public meetings planned by TRS over the next 50 days.

Political observers say TRS is keen for early elections as the party believes that simultaneous elections to Assembly and Lok Sabha may not help it properly highlight welfare and developmental works undertaken during the last four years.

Political circles have been abuzz for the last few weeks with talks of early polls. KCR has given strong hints in this regard with his two meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in August, announcement of sops and transfer of top police and civil officials.

There was a strong possibility of a decision in the Cabinet meeting before September 2 public meeting, attended by lakhs of people and claimed to be mother of all rallies.

While the cabinet took no decision, KCR kept the suspense by telling the party cadres that the party leaders have empowered him to take a decision and that they would soon hear it (decision on early polls).

At the public meeting, the TRS chief highlighted the achievements of his government since it took reins in the newly created state in 2014.

He sought a fresh mandate to continue the good work and achieve the goal of 'Bangaru Telangana' or golden Telangana. He urged people to protect their 'self-respect' by rejecting the parties from Delhi which want to make them slaves.

--IANS

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