కెసిఆర్ కు మంత్రి పదవి? (Berth for KCR in Manmohan cabinet)

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In order to placate TRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) and restore peace in the Telangana region, the Congress is mulling the option of offering him a berth in the Manmohan Singh cabinet . KCR had quit the UPA government in 2006 in protest against the delay in the creation of separate state by the Union government. Informal talks have already taken place between KCR and Congress leaders. Still camping in the national capital, the TRS president is slated to meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi soon, and the cabinet offer may well be made to him after that, Congress sources said.

According to sources, inducting KCR into the Manmohan cabinet will serve two purposes. One, it will give confidence to the Telangana people that the Centre is committed to the separate state, and two, it will help put an end to the friction between the two regions, the sources said. However, this time around (unlike 2004), KCR and his party did not go to the polls as part of the UPA. Raos presence in the cabinet is needed to keep a constant vigil on the process of Telangana formation as such processes are bound to get derailed if not pursued aggressively, the sources said.

But it is not clear so far whether the TRS chief will take the cabinet offer. While KCR had initially thought that such a move would not go down well with the people of the region, party seniors are convincing him to join the cabinet and keep breathing down the Centres neck on Telangana. But the offer has not come as yet and the party has not taken a decision on it, TRS sources said. Raos presence in New Delhi is much more important as the Centre is unlikely to fix a time-frame for the completion of the process, the sources opined. Political processes cannot be fixed in timeframes as it involves accommodation of divergent views. Therefore, a constant watch is necessary, said a TRS leader.

In fact, KCR had exerted tremendous pressure on the UPA government when he was Union labour minister after the 2004 elections. The reference to Telangana in the Presidents address to the joint session of Parliament was the result of his pressure on the UPA government . He can play a similar role again, the sources said. In an informal meeting with state Congress leaders, finance minister Pranab Mukherjee is said have observed: I have authored a number of Presidential addresses, but not once did I relent to amend it. But on the issue of the reference to Telangana, KCR exerted so much pressure that I had to make the change.

Even though the current phase of the Telangana movement is an all-party agitation under the banner of JAC headed by university teacher M Kodandaram, KCR has become the rallying point for all the parties. By keeping him in good humour, the Congress can control the Telangana agitation that has potential to destabilise the Rosaiah government, something the ruling party wants to avoid, Congress sources said. KCR was not available for comment.
(SOURCE : TOI)
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