In a surprising development, Telangana Rashtra Samithi president and chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Tuesday allotted medical and health portfolio to his nephew and state finance minister T Harish Rao.
KCR sent the file to this effect to Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan in the evening and she signed the file immediately. Orders allotting health portfolio to Harish Rao were issued later in the night.
One wonders whether it is a reward or punishment for Harish Rao, as the development follows days after the TRS lost the by-election to Huzurabad assembly seat to Bharatiya Janata Party which fielded former health minister Eatala Rajender.
It was Harish Rao who spearheaded the campaign for the TRS in the by-polls.
He singlehandedly handled the party activities in Huzurabad, ensured implementation of developmental works in the constituency, lured all the leaders associated with Rajender into the TRS and did the poll management till the last moment.
In spite of all his efforts, the TRS lost the Huzurabad seat for various reasons. It was a shock to Harish Rao, who is treated as a trouble shooter for KCR. The loss has damaged the reputation of not only Harish Rao but also KCR himself.
So, one wonders allotment of medical and health portfolio to Harish Rao at this stage is a reward or punishment for him.
The portfolio was earlier handled by Rajender and later, it was kept with KCR himself. By allotting the portfolio to Harish, KCR will be reposing his faith in his nephew.
However, there is also a talk that it could be a sort of punishment for Harish Rao.
He is already handling finance portfolio with aplomb and it will be an additional burden on him. Moreover, allotting the portfolio which was seized from Rajender is a sort of insult for Harish Rao.
In any case, it will be a big challenge for Harish Rao to handle two major portfolios!