Leader behind ‘mission Telangana’: A look back on KCR's political journey

Tallest leader of the youngest Indian state KCR has been an advocate for a separate Telangana state and remained the chief minister since its formation in 2014.

Published on: Dec 3, 2023, 14:24:27 IST

By HT News Desk

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As the resurgent Congress takes the early lead in Telangana, incumbent chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao is currently staring at a possible defeat. His main challenger, Telangana Congress chief A Revanth Reddy surged ahead by at least 2,000 votes in the Kamareddy constituency. However, he is leading on his home turf in the Gajwel constituency.

Telangana Chief Minister and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) chief K Chandrasekhar Rao (ANI)

Tallest leader of the youngest Indian state KCR has been an advocate for ‘mission Telangana’, a demand for a separate state, and remained the chief minister since its formation in 2014.

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The political journey of KCR

Born in Hyderabad Chintamadaka village in present-day Telangana, KCR started his political career with the Youth Congress party in Medhak.
In 1983 assembly elections in erstwhile Andhra Pradesh, he contested against Ananthula Madan Mohan which he lost but stunned observers by securing a few votes short of the Congress heavyweight. KCR was believed to follow in the footsteps of Madan Mohan.
In 1989, he trounced his guru Madan Mohan with more than double the votes and continued to maintain his winning streak in the next three by-polls.
Determined to raise the cause for the people of the Telangana region, KCR spearheaded the Telangana movement. He left the TDP and formed the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), which was eventually renamed Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and fought for a separate state.
In 2004, KCR joined hands with the Congress to fight in the Lok Sabha polls with hopes to materialise his dream for Telangana state. He then became Union minister of labour and employment under the United Progressive Alliance (UPA). However, TDP later withdrew from the coalition saying that the alliance didn't side with the cause for Telangana state.
After winning from the Mahbubnagar constituency in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, Rao started a fast-unto-death demanding the introduction of the Telangana Bill in Parliament. The central government later agreed to a separate Telangana state.
Rao fought the elections in the newly formed state and emerged victorious with TRS bagging the largest vote share. He was sworn in as the first chief minister of Telangana on June 2, 2014, and held onto the post ever since.

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HT News Desk
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