Telangana CM KCR to buy aircraft for national party tours

TRS supremo and CM K Chandrasekhar Rao decided to acquire a 12-seater aircraft to make cross-country tours after forming the national party, sources in the ruling party said. The decision taken at a TRS meeting on Thursday marks the stepped-up preparations by KCR to play a bigger role in national politics.

Hyderabad: TRS supremo and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao decided to acquire a 12-seater aircraft to make country-wide tours as part of plans to strengthen his proposed national party, sources in the ruling party said. The Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) top leadership is going to place the order for the small plane on Dasara, the day when they are also bent upon okaying the proposal to form the national party.

The decision on the aircraft taken by the TRS at a meeting on Thursday came up against the backdrop of CM KCR's stepped up preparations to form the national party. KCR has already started his tours to different parts of the country as part of building a national-level alternative. He is all set to further intensify these tours across the country after the formation of the national party.

The TRS sources said that their party is ready to spend Rs 80 crore on buying the 12-seater plane. The order for the purchase of the special aircraft will be placed after KCR makes a final announcement of the new national party name on Dasara. The TRS, which has Rs 865 crore in its treasury, has decided to collect donations for buying aircraft.

Currently, the TRS supremo is hiring private planes for his visits to various states as part of his efforts to develop a united opposition front at the national- level. The party leaders considered the purchase of aircraft a necessity once the national party is formed. They also point to the fact that KCR used a helicopter effectively to help in the strengthening of the TRS after its formation in 2001.

It may be recalled the TRS leadership has asked all their Ministers, MPs, MLAs and other important leaders to attend the party state executive meeting scheduled for Dasara. The state executive will discuss the issue of forming the national party. Once the decision is finalised, KCR is likely to announce the national party in the afternoon of the same day.