THE KCR XI

The group of men the chief minister holds close as he looks to lift the Telangana trophy the third time

- RAHUL DEVULAPALLI

As Telangana goes to the polls, on November 30, the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi has taken inspiration from Team India’s performance at the ongoing ODI World Cup. Hoping to emulate the cricket team, the party has launched a campaign asserting that, just as India will lift its third trophy, the party will also win Telangana for the third time. Leading from the front is captain K. Chandrashekar Rao; the others include a mix of family members, seasoned politicians and former bureaucrats. Here’s a look at the KCR XI:

Kalvakuntla Chandrashekar Rao

The chief minister and BRS president is a product of grassroots politics. Starting as a Youth Congress worker, KCR switched teams to play for the Telugu Desam Party and defeated the seemingly invincible Congress MLA, Madan Mohan, from Siddipet. He continued winning and eventually became deputy speaker of united Andhra Pradesh.

In 2001, however, he quit the TDP to form his own party—the Telangana Rashtra Samithi—to agitate for a separate state. In the next decade, he joined hands with the Congress and the TDP, resigned from his parliament and assembly seats multiple times, motivated people to join the movement, and also undertook a fast unto death. Telangana was created in 2014. Since then, KCR has twice served as chief minister of the new state.