Bharat Rashtra Samithi president and former Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao had never cared for the media or reporters during his regime in the last 10 years.
Except when he wanted to address the media, he used to summon them to Pragati Bhavan.
Even then, there was hardly any opportunity for a question and answer session – reporters would be silenced when they attempted to ask him uncomfortable questions, and they had to simply record whatever he wished to convey.
Throughout his 10-year tenure, KCR never granted one-on-one interviews to any newspaper or channel, nor did he participate in any media conclaves organized by reputable media outlets such as Times of India, Hindustan Times, Times Now, or any other national or local channel.
Perhaps only once, he briefly spoke on stage to NDTV’s Prannoy Roy during the 2018 assembly elections. Following that, he declined interview requests from any media house.
The last time KCR visited a studio for an interview was in 2012 during the Telangana movement, when he conversed with ABN-Andhra Jyothy managing director V Radhakrishna.
Apart from the media, he was inaccessible even to his party MLAs and ministers. Furthermore, he rarely engaged with the public, let alone interacted with them, except during public meetings.
Therefore, when KCR appeared for a live interview on TV9 on Tuesday, it came as a surprise.
However, it was apparent that the interview was stage-managed (some speculate it was a paid interview), as it was a one-sided affair. There was little for Rajinikanth to inquire about, and all he had to do was broadcast KCR’s monologue.
Nevertheless, the fact that KCR emerged from his seclusion and visited a studio indicates his desperation to restore his image as a prominent leader among the people who rejected him in the recent assembly elections.
Credit must be given to Pradesh Congress Committee president and Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, who has become a thorn in KCR’s side.
The impact of Revanth Reddy’s assertiveness compelled the BRS chief to descend from his pedestal and seek media coverage.
Moreover, KCR has begun conducting road shows since Wednesday.
He will engage with the people and farmers every evening, something he had refrained from doing in the past 10 years. Analysts attribute this shift to the "Revanth Reddy effect."