KCR vows to empower states, says a new national party is on horizon

Terming the electoral victory of Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) as the victory of the people of Telangana, the party chief and caretaker chief minister K Chandrasekhara Rao on Tuesday vowed to fight for increased reservations for the deserved sections of population, beyond the 50 per cent threshold, besides securing the transfer of powers to the states to implement programmes independently in education and health among other sectors.

Thanking the people for according a landslide victory to his party, Rao said he would accomplish the dream of providing water to 10 million acres of land on a war footing and also put special efforts to create more employment opportunities for youngsters, both in the government and the private sectors, in the state. 

"This victory has enhanced our responsibility manifold towards people of my state. While carrying out our responsibilities with utmost sincerely in the government, we would also prepare to play a constructive role in the national politics in order to give a new direction to the country based on the unity of people," Rao said in a media conference.

Stating that there was a need for a non-Congress and non-BJP government at the Centre, Rao said a new national party could be formed by a consortium of several regional political parties in the country.

The TRS chief said the country needed a new economic development model, one that would involve optimum utilisation of resources available for the country's progress. 

"The country has Rs 15-16 trillion, including some of the RBI reserves, at the disposal of the country and this can be effectively utilised for enhancing the infrastructure, utilisation of water resources among other things," he said.

Rao also criticised the Supreme Court's judgement on the 50 per cent threshold to reservations and said it was the responsibility of the Centre to rectify this 'wrong'. 

Responding to a question on Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu's campaign in four of Congress-led People's Front in the just-concluded elections, KCR said he would 'return the gift' to his AP counterpart very soon.

TRS legislature party would meet Wednesday morning to elect KCR as its leader.