Telangana Rashtra Samithi's plenary and formation day public meeting is being held on 27 April 2017. But we aren’t talking about the party that K Chandrasekhar Rao founded on the same day in 2001, with the sole purpose of fighting for the creation of Telangana as a separate state with Hyderabad as its capital. We are talking about a ‘son-rise’ here. About the rise of KT Rama Rao (or KTR), the son of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao or simply, KCR.
Telanagana is looking up with great expectations at KTR, who is also a cabinet minister. On Friday 14 April, ahead of the TRS plenary, KT Rama Rao earned Rs 7.30 lakh just in a couple of hours by "selling" ice cream and fruit juice in Hyderabad, turning "coolie" to raise money for the function.
KCR Was Too Busy During KTR’s Childhood
In an interview to a magazine KTR had said that he and his sister were brought up by their mother because his father, a politician ‘was busy and away from home a lot during our formative years.’ KTR says that at times, KCR didn’t even know ‘what class my sister and I were studying in. But he ensured we had everything we needed.’
KTR’s mother Shobha was a homemaker, whom he credits for his grounded upbringing.
‘...she did not allow us to flaunt our dad’s position or power. She brought us up to believe that position and power are ephemeral and not an inheritance.’
KTR went to 7 different schools in his 10 years of schooling. When he was studying for +2 in Guntur, he often bunked school to steal away along with schoolmates to watch films. He was a Nagarjuna fan ever since he watched the Telugu film star in ‘Shiva’.
After his B.Sc in Hyderabad, he did his M.Sc in Biotechnology from Pune and went to the US to do his MBA. The dotcom boom had taken off then. KTR joined a dotcom company called Inttra, while in his second year at the US college.
Daddy Launches TRS, Son Returns To India
KC Rao launched the Telangana Rashtra Samithi on 27 April 2001. But he discouraged son KTR from returning to India. KTR says he did not hate the US, he just happier in India. So when he was promoted to Regional Director, South Asia, he came back in December 2004, with a job.
Goodbye, Job: For Father’s Political Campaign
TRS quit his job soon when he hit the campaign trail for his father. He himself contested from Siricilla in 2009. He is a three-time MLA from Siricilla and in one particular election, he had won by a margin of 171 votes. That was close!
TRS Achieves Telangana
KTR had actively participated in the fight for creation of Telangana, a bifucation from the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh. He led TRS teams in the ‘Rail-Roko Andolans’.
On 2 June 2014, Telangana, India's newest and the 29th state was born. 63-year-old K Chandrashekar Rao, who led the movement for the separate state of Telangana since 2001, took oath as the new Chief Minister of the state.
Minister With a Difference
KTR is a Member of Legislative Assembly from Siricilla constituency. He currently serves as the Cabinet Minister for the State for different portfolios; namely: Information Technology (IT), Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD), Textiles and NRI Affairs.
He has aggressively championed the cause of Information Technology and Industries in Telangana. He is social media savvy and often responds on his twitter account.
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