Hyderabad: Signs of dissent appear to be on the rise in the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) with two of its lawmakers, including a senior minister, expressing their disappointment with the pace of development in the state.
A week after Telangana Health Minister Etela Rajender spoke out against the government led by K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR), TRS legislator Rasamayi Balakishan said not much had changed in the education sector in the state over the last few years.
Other than the addition of the new state’s name to the school’s board (referring to the statehood movement), the condition of the educational institutions had not changed much over the last few years, Balakishan said at a teacher’s day event in Karimnagar on Thursday. Balakishan, who was a teacher before joining politics, was speaking in the presence of the health minister.
“Rajender and I can only speak the truth. We became a part of the Telangana movement based on facts and dreamt of a separate state. However, nothing much has changed since, except the name,” he said.
Rajender and Balakishan are close associates — while the former is an MLA from Huzurabad, the latter represents the Manakondur constituency. Both segments are part of Karimnagar district. .
Stating that virtue and not power was permanent, Rajender had said last week, “People, and not individuals, create. I never asked for a ministry under the Backward Class (BC) quota. I got it on the basis of my agitation for a separate state. We are not beggars and did not join the party mid-way. We are the party’s founders and brought it to power.”
After the statement, TRS working president KT Rama Rao (KTR), who is also the chief minister’s son, spoke to Rajender and urged him to issue a statement. The health minister then said that nothing was personal and he believed in his leader, KCR. Hitting out at the leaders speaking against the government, KTR said those enjoying ministries should not forget it was due to the party.
Leaders of opposition parties have launched an attack on the TRS supremo over the latest rumblings in the ruling camp. Congress working president and Malkajgiri MP Revanth Reddy said, “Rajender had revealed his pain but had to withdraw his statements out of KCR’s fears.”
Another Congress leader, V Hanumantha Rao, said Rajender was a Backward Caste leader and a good man.
A senior journalist, Venu Gopal Reddy, told News 18 that something appeared to be happening in the party. "Earlier, no one used to speak out against KCR. But now that is happening. People who were suppressed and neglected are raising their voices. We can see more such individuals in the future,” he said.
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