Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao flew out of Hyderabad to Bangalore on Thursday, a couple of hours before the arrival of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the city. KCR, as Rao is popularly known, left for Karnataka capital in a special aircraft from Begumpet airport, where PM Modi landed for a two-and-a-half-hour-long visit to the city. PM Modi is in the city to attend 20th annual celebrations at the Indian School of Business (ISB) KCR, who is eyeing a key role in national politics, is scheduled to meet former Prime Minister and Janata Dal (S) leader H. D. Deve Gowda in Bangalore. The TRS leader is accompanied by party MP J. Santosh Kumar, four MLAs and other party leaders.
This is the second time in less than four months that KCR avoided greeting Prime Minister Modi on the latter's arrival in Hyderabad. KCR had not received Modi on his arrival in Hyderabad on February 5 and also skipped the two programmes attended by the PM. During the day-long visit, the PM unveiled statue of saint Ramanujacharya and inaugurated 50th anniversary celebrations of ICRISAT. He had come under sharp criticism from BJP, which alleged that KCR insulted the PM. KCR's action was viewed in political circles as a symbolic protest against Modi government's discrimination against Telangana. The PM's visit had also come amid bitter attack by the TRS chief on BJP for its failure on all fronts and for whipping up communal passions in various parts of the country for political mileage. However, the chief minister had later clarified that he did not receive the PM as a couple of his family members had Covid-like symptoms. This time too, the PM is visiting Hyderabad at a time when KCR has stepped up his efforts to work for a national alternative.
He has been holding consultations with leaders of various political parties. The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief had returned to Hyderabad Monday from Delhi after a four-day visit to the national capital and Chandigarh. At the 20th formation day celebrations of TRS, KCR had hinted at floating a national party to play a key role in national politics. The state leadership of BJP has slammed KCR for once again avoiding a meeting with the PM. State BJP chief Bandi Sanjay Kumar alleged that the TRS chief is running away from the state to avoid facing Modi. He said KCR deliberately planned his visit to other states as he was scared of facing the PM. The TRS leaders, however, rubbished the allegations by BJP. They claimed that KCR's visit to Bangalore was already scheduled.