Kalvakuntla Chandrasekhara Rao or KCR, has a lot of promises to keep. After all, he had led the 15-year-long movement for a separate state on the promise to create a Bangaru (golden) Telangana. But as the once rabble-rousing chief of the Telangana Rastra Samithi (TRS) completes three years in office on June 2, his performance throws up a mixed bag.

He has had some impressive wins in the form of better power supply, popular welfare schemes and political stability in the State. KCR also periodically harps on his pet missions — Kakatiya, Bhaghiratha, HarithaHaram (providing water, irrigation and increasing the green cover), which he claims will lead the State to prosperity.

KCR’s biggest achievement, according to Ravindra Modi, President of the Federation of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry, is uninterrupted supply of power. "We used to have two days of power holidays every week putting us to deep stress earlier,” he says.

At the same time, KCR has fallen short in providing jobs, tackling the agrarian crisis and giving momentum to manufacturing industries in Telanagana. PL Visweswara Rao, academic-activist and AAP leader faults the KCR Government for failing on many fronts, especially in employment, healthcare and education. “Economic growth with participation of people from the region is missing. Healthcare infrastructure is crumbling and budgets are unimpressive.”

The 63-year-old Chief Minister’s style of functioning has also come under the limelight. While for his die-hard followers, it’s one more reason to admire him, the critics termed it authoritarian and likened him to the Nizam of Hyderabad.

KCR has virtually bypassed the traditional administrative nerve-centre — Secretariat and created an ultra-spacious, palatial and all powerful new entity called Pragathi Bhawan, which serves as his office-cum-residence.

He also increased the number of districts from 10 to 31, ostensibly to simplify governance. Though the opposition is vociferous that the intent is to increase advantage in the 2019 elections, KCR seems to have consolidated his political prowess.

Political consolidation

After winning 63 seats in the 119-member Legislative Assembly in 2014, KCR has cemented the party’s strength by increasing the MLA count to 90. In 2016, the TRS also won local body elections in Hyderabad, where it had failed to make an impression in 2014.

While the TDP (with three seats) and the Congress (13 seats) have seen their influence waning, KCR has maintained cordial relations with MIM, which has a stronghold in the older parts of Hyderabad. The BJP has five seats.

A weakened opposition terms KCR’s 3-year-rule just high on promise and low on delivery. “ It reminds us of the bygone Telangana Dora regime. There are only two voices — KCR & KTR (KT Rama Rao, the CM’s son Minister for IT & Municipal Admn). The all-male Cabinet, is namesake with hardly any meetings or discussion”, says Madhu Yaski Goud, two-time MP and one of the national secretaries of the Cong (I).

Forward march

Early in his term, KCR set the ball rolling with a new industrial and IT policies and doled out a host of welfare schemes. He also hiked salaries of State Government employees. The stability and a comparatively better law and order situation has considerably improved the investment climate, which had taken a beating earlier.

Consequently, Hyderabad has attracted investments from global biggies like Apple, Uber, Amazon, IKEAand DreamWorks, the Hollywood entertainment company. The IT sector has remained the jewel in the crown. The T-Hub, the largest incubator for start-ups in the country was launched with much fanfare by Ratan Tata, the former Chairman of Tata Sons.

In his bid for investments, KCR softened his criticism towards ‘settlers’ or people from Andhra, especially those from business and political classes. As a result, the dreaded collapse of the real estate, retail and education sectors have been prevented.

One of KCR’s biggest successes has been plugging the power deficit in the State. The Government increased the power capacity through a mix of new projects, buying from power exchanges and encouraging solar power in a big way.

Though the Intensive Household Survey of August 2014 was alleged to be intrusive of privacy, the Government had its way and used the enormous socio-economic data to implement its welfare schemes and revamp the public distribution system.

KCR has also succeeded in reviving culture and artistic identities of the State with festivals like Bonalu (an early monsoon festival) and Bathukamma ( a festival of flowers). Last year, the festivities saw over 9,000 women celebrating at a single location, creating a Guinness record.

Unfulfilled promises

One of the first announcements made by KCR after assuming office was to distribute three acres of land to every eligible Dalit family. This translates to a minimum of 1.5 lakh acres. But according to estimates not more than 10,000 acres have been distributed so far. Interestingly, KCR, a Velama (who were historically landowners) had in pre-election speeches stated that a dalit would be the first CM of Telangana.

Another favourite project of the Chief Minister is to provide 2 BHK housing to the poor in the State — up to one lakh in Hyderabad and an equivalent number in other districts. But for a few hundred houses that were allocated, the ambitious ₹15,000-crore investment project is in a state of ‘work in progress.’

KCR is also facing heat from students of Osmania University. The students, who played a pivotal role in sustaining the Telangana agitation, are seething with anger against the Government for not generating enough jobs. The CM even had to go on a silent mode during the University’s Centenary Celebrations function that was attended by President Pranab Mukherjee. It doesn’t help that a few mid-sized ventures apart, the manufacturing sector is generating few jobs, and hundreds of MSMEs, caught in a debt trap, are on the verge of closure.

Education too has taken a beating. In the name of rationalisation or poor infrastructure, the Government is closing nearly 5,000 schools. Against the national average of 20 per cent, only 12 per cent of children in the State go to primary school; and of these 50 per cent go to private schools. “Where is the Government’s focus”, questions Rao, the AAP leader. The State has 90 per cent of population falling into SC, ST, BC, minorities and majority are poor. This Government has hardly addressed their plight, he argues.

Controversies & idiosyncrasies

KCR is increasingly emerging as a benevolent ruler doling out goodies to various sections of the people. He has shrewdly focussed on Asara, the ₹1,000 pension for senior citizens, hikes to ASHA workers and beedi workers, and grants to single women from poor backgrounds. But this has burdened the exchequer.

The CM, a believer in Vasthu, now exhibits religious sentiments openly. His big push to turn Yadagiri Narasimha temple, about 60 kms from Hyderabad, into ‘Yadadri’ on the lines of Tirumala, is a testimony to this. He and his wife are often seen in religious functions. He recently donated ₹5 crore-worth gold ornaments to the Tirumala deity, despite widespread criticism. He also participates in festivals like Ramzan and Christmas.

Very early into his tenure, KCR generated much heat and dust, especially among the citizens of Hyderabad by announcing his plans to build a cluster of skyscrapers around the picturesque Hussain Sagar lake. There is also a plan to bring down the nearly 100-year-old heritage building housing the Osmania General Hospital. Netizens of the 425-year-old metropolis are a worried lot at KCR’s approach to the rich heritage.

The stamp of high handedness reflected in the whisking away of M Kodandaram, former OU Professor of Political Science, in the wee hours of the morning from his home by Police for the the vociferous criticism he has mounted on the Government, brought all round condemnation. Kodandaram had led the JAC of political parties in the Telangana struggle. Similarly, the steps like the one to silence protesters and deny ‘Dharna Chowk’ as a venue for dissent in the heart of the city, are tipped to snowball into major irritants.

Mission 2019

At the plenary of the TRS in Warangal on April 27, KCR virtually sounded the election bugle. Though, he showed only glimpses of his vitriolic best against the opposition parties, he tried to set the agenda by harping on the growing basket of welfare measures that the government was offering.

Preceding this, the Government pushed through a bill to increase reservations from 4 to 12 per cent for economically poor among Muslims and ST with far reaching consequences. The decision is bound to snowball into a controversy. It takes the total quota to 62 per cent and could attract legal tangles, claim political analysts. On his part, KCR cleverly rests his argument on economic backwardness and the precedent of Tamil Nadu.

Three major issues threaten to be thorny for KCR and draw flak and public ire. The land acquisition for the Mallannasagar irrigation project in Mahboobnagar district saw a considerable build-up of opposition from local people who would be displaced. The ongoing protests by chilli farmers on the glut and low price, has given the much needed ammunition for the opposition. His political rivals are now waiting to tap the simmering discontent in the OU.

The Telangana Pradesh Congress Chief, Uttam Kumar Reddy says KCR has nothing much to show as he had failed to provide jobs and also damaged the entire education system. He sees a gradual build up of anti-incumbency and is confident of his party returning to power in the 2019 elections.

In 2014, KCR tapped the emotive appeal and strong sentiment for Telangana to reap rich dividends and rode to power. Come 2019, and he will have to contend with a diminishing sentiment and rising aspirations of the people.

He had promised giant strides. The questions is still out if the promises will be kept.

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