Telangana Rashtra Samithi president and chief minister K Chandrashekhar Rao has announced that he would play a bigger role in the national politics in the coming days and he has already begun his efforts in that direction.
Though KCR said he won’t have to give up his chief minister post immediately to make efforts in building up an anti-Bharatiya Janata Party front, he also indicated that he might contest the Lok Sabha elections in the next general elections.
“There is still a lot of time to decide on contesting the Lok Sabha elections. I was an MP in the past and I might be an MP in future as well. There is nothing to be surprised on this at all,” he said.
This has triggered the speculation in the political and media circles from where KCR would contest the next Lok Sabha elections, if he decides to play a role in the national politics.
According to party sources, KCR is likely to contest from the Karimnagar parliament constituency in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections in the year 2024.
“He has the option of Medak and Warangal parliamentary constituencies as well. But the chances of KCR opting for Karimnagar are more,” a party leader said.
Sources said KCR always considers Karimnagar as a place of strong sentiment.
He started the Telangana statehood movement from Karimnagar town by addressing a massive public meeting called ‘Simhagarjana’ at the college grounds.
He contested the Lok Sabha elections for the first time only from Karimnagar parliament constituency in 2004 and defeated BJP candidate and former Union Minister Ch Vidyasagar Rao. He later became the Union minister in the UPA government.
He won the MP seat for a second time from Karimnagar itself in the 2006 by-elections by defeating Congress candidate T Jeevan Reddy.
Again in 2008, he resigned from his MP post as part of the statehood movement and won the by-elections to Karimnagar seat.
He also launched the second phase of statehood movement by announcing fast unto death from Karimnagar and was arrested in the town in November 2009.
So, the chances of KCR contesting the Lok Sabha elections in 2024 from Karimnagar itself, because of this sentiment.
“This will also give him an opportunity to checkmate state BJP president Bandi Sanjay,” sources said.