KCR returns to Telangana Assembly after 8 long months; what changed?

Former Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) stepped into the state Assembly on Wednesday (March 12), marking a return to the House after around eight months.

KCR’s attendance coincided with the budget session that commenced earlier in the day.

Warm welcome

Enthused by their leader’s presence, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) members tried to obstruct Governor Jishnu Dev Varma’s address, raising slogans against the state government. They shouted ‘fake’ and ‘bogus’ when Varma started listing out the welfare programmes initiated by the Congress government in the state.

KCR, who was silent and attentive during the Governor’s address, was earlier given a warm welcome by BRS MLAs as he made a long-awaited appearance.

KCR meets MLAs

Before attending the session, he met his MLAs to discuss a strategy to be followed during the House proceedings.

The 11-day budget session will continue till March 27 with intermittent holidays. The budget will be tabled on March 19.

KCR, the Leader of the Opposition, announced his decision to return to the Assembly on Tuesday during the BRS legislature party meeting held in Hyderabad.

Also read | BRS churn: With KCR on the wane, Kavitha throws hat in the ring

KCR’s disappearance

KCR last attended the legislature on July 25, 2024. It was a joint session of the Assembly and Legislative Council. He it attended only for a few minutes before quietly walking out.

Since then he has not attended any session and confined himself to his farmhouse in the Gajwel Assembly constituency, which he represents.

KCR’s disappearance from the public has seen an outcome of the humiliating defeat his party suffered in the 2023 November elections at the hands of the Congress, which he used to call a dead party.

Congress flays KCR

The absence of the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly was highly criticised by political pundits and the ruling party.

Congress leaders often urged the Speaker to take action against the KCR for his failure to honour the constitutional obligations as an elected member.

Senior Congress leader Daripally Rajashekhar Reddy said KCR’s absence undermined responsibilities expected from an elected member.

Also read | Where is KCR? Question grows louder as ‘spice’ goes missing from Telangana politics

KTR defends father

“Since taxpayers fund the salaries of MLAs, all members are expected to honour the constitutional obligations towards their electorate. As KCR failed to fulfil the responsibilities as an MLA and the Leader of the Opposition, the House should not hesitate to take action against the BRS supremo,” he said

However, BRS working president KT Ramarao (KTR) dismissed these comments as ridiculous.

“Nobody in the ruling Congress can match up to his stature; and it would be below his dignity to listen to the meaningless comments of the Congress leaders in the House,” KTR said once.