KCR and Amit Shah: Even as Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has not been mincing words during his attack against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led Union government and its policies, the CM seems to be avoiding direct confrontation with BJP second most powerful leader and Union home minister Amit Shah when the chance has occurred.
KCR and Amit Shah
Why is KCR not interested to confront Amit Shah? Is it because of his recent rants against the BJP and Union government? Or is it because BJP is making inroads into Telangana and he was treating them as prime opposition hence not ready to budge before them? Or does he think meeting the Union home minister would have no significance?
Whatever be the reason, it was very good opportunity for KCR to directly speak to Amit Shah and that too for the benefit of the state and not politics. The Union home minister will be attending Southern Zonal Council meeting to be held tomorrow in Tirupati. The meeting will be attended by all chief ministers of southern states as well as lieutenant governors of Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep.
The Council meeting was scheduled for March 4 this year at the same venue, but was postponed to Covid-19 issues and pandemic was showing the second waves conditions. The Southern Zonal Council was rescheduled for November 14 and is slated to discuss about the river water sharing issues between the southern states. The issue had been included in the agenda of the previous meeting especially after escalation of differences between Telangana and Karnataka over the construction of Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme and Nakkalagandi LIS to draw large quantity of remaining/surplus water from the foreshore of Srisailam reservoir.
Though it was good opportunity to mend ties with neighbouring states as well as sit-down and sort out issues with Union home minister for the benefit of the state, but KCR is thinking otherwise. “Maybe he is thinking his absence will have more value than his presence and is avoiding. He has already hinted that he will depute someone else if he will be unable to make it to the Council meeting,” said a Congress leader in Telangana.
“Is it not a good opportunity to pressurise the Union government through this Council meeting to procure paddy from the state? KCR could have used the opportunity to make it clear as why the state was unable to reduce value added tax (VAT) on fuel and even demand for the Union government to further reduce the cess. Though these are not part of the agenda, raising these issue would definitely matter in the meeting,” said political analyst.