Telangana governor slams state govt, says KCR 'not inclined to move ahead'

Batting for a harmonious working relationship between the Raj Bhavan and the elected state government, Telangana governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan has said she is a witness to the high and the low of the office that she holds. While it is hostile in Telangana, it is cordial in Puducherry, where she is the Lt Governor. Baring it all at an event in Chennai, Dr Tamilisai made it clear that despite her attempt to make the relationship warm, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekar Rao (KCR) wasn't forthcoming, reports ETV Bharat's MC Rajan

Chennai: Admitting strains in the relationship with Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, Telangana governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan said as a constitutional functionary, she is not be expected to be a rubber stamp as the office enjoins her to be responsible.

“It is surprising that democratically elected Chief Ministers expect the governor to do what they desire, which betrays a streak of authoritarianism,” she told a gathering at the launch of her coffee table books 'One Among & Amongst the People' as governor of Telangana, and 'A year of Positivity' as LG of Puducherry. However, she made it clear that her reference to Raj Bhavan and the state government was confined to Telangana.

About the confrontation with the KCR government, she said that it all started with her rejection of a proposal to nominate a candidate as an MLC. “There were some issues against the candidate and hence could not be nominated under the category of rendering social service. This has resulted in a chill in the relations. I have made efforts to bring warmth and had telephonic conversations with the CM. But, he was not inclined to move ahead,” she revealed.

As BJP president of Tamil Nadu, her five-and-a-half-year tenure saw Tamilisai emerge as an important political personality in the Dravidian land and was appreciated across the political spectrum. “I have learnt to accept criticism from whichever quarter it comes. Criticism was there when I was BJP state president here and even now I face them as governor. I have been to Delhi recently and rumour mills were awash with speculation that I might be shunted out to Kerala since Telangana requires a strong governor,” she said while questioning views that subscribe that women are not strong.

“I challenge, who else can be a stronger governor than me? Do not think that women are not strong enough to confront challenges,” she fumed. Power, she said, had never got into her head since she always got the work done through love and has remained closer to the people, especially the disadvantaged. “I work tirelessly for the betterment of both Telangana and Puducherry. “If the governor and the chief minister work together, good things will happen as in Puducherry. If they quarrel, it will be like Telangana. And, I am a witness to both,” she maintained.