Are early polls for Telangana a feasible idea? KCR discusses with Rajnath

HYDERABAD: With chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao mulling advancing Assembly polls, he is learnt to have discussed with Union home minister Rajnath Singh about its feasibility from security point of view during their meeting in New Delhi on Sunday.
Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh are set to go for polls later this year and the chief minister is seeking to club even Telangana Assembly elections with these states.
TRS MP B Vinod Kumar has admitted there was a discussion on early Assembly polls in Telangana. "I am not denying it. But when the polls will be held is something the Election Commission (EC) has to decide. All the cabinet can do is take a decision on dissolution of the Assembly," Vinod Kumar told the media in New Delhi on Sunday.
"If the cabinet decides, the Assembly can be dissolved or else, before the term ends, the House will have to be convened," he added.
"It is under discussion, no doubt. But, we have not decided on any muhurtham or dates for the polls. Early polls and byelections are not decided by ministers. It is the prerogative of the Election Commission," he added.
The TRS MP said the issue of merger of seven mandals with Andhra Pradesh (Rampachodavaram and Polavaram Assembly constituencies) needs to be resolved as they belong to Telangana.
Later in the day, the chief minister's office (CMO) issued a release in Hyderabad stating Chandrasekhar Rao thanked Rajnath Singh for taking steps for clearing the newly-formed zonal system. The EC has also been consulted informally on the possibility of early Assembly polls. Though consultation with Rajnath Singh on this matter was on top of the list, the main thing was bifurcation of High Court.
Apart from the home minster, Chandrasekhar Rao also met Union finance minister Arun Jaitley. "The CM also discussed other issues related to the state," the CMO statement said.
The chief minister met Arun Jaitley and submitted three letters to request release 450 crore towards development of backward districts in Telangana under the Backward Regions Grant Fund. He also requested raising the annual borrowing limit of the state by an additional 0.50% of gross state domestic product (GSDP).
TRS to give opinion on poll reforms today
The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) will give its opinion on electoral reforms at a meeting convened by the Election Commission of India (ECI) in New Delhi on Monday. TRS MP and general secretary B Vinod Kumar will represent the party. “We have been invited for the meeting and I will be attending it and express the party’s views on various topics,” Vinod Kumar said in Delhi.
During the meeting, the subject of ceiling on expenditure for legislative council elections and limited of political parties expenditure will be discussed. Another point for discussion is the enforcement measures to be taken to ensure timely submission of annual audit reports and election expenditure reports. It is also felt by the EC that alternate modes of voting for domestic migrants and absentee votes be discussed.