Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao was re-elected unanimously as the President of Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) at the party's annual plenary that began at Kompally on the outskirts of Hyderabad on Friday.

TRS electoral returning officer Nayini Narasimha Reddy, who is also the state’s Home Minister, announced Rao's election for the eighth consecutive time, minutes before the beginning of the plenary.

His announcement was greeted with drum beats and distribution of sweets by the party leaders.

Narasimha Reddy said Rao's was the only nomination received for the party chief's post. Party leaders filed 12 sets of nomination papers all on behalf of Rao.

KCR, as Rao popularly known, has been holding the post since floating the party in 2001 to revive the movement for separate statehood to Telangana.

Telangana was carved out of Andhra Pradesh in 2014. TRS won the elections held the same year and formed the first government in the newly created state.

The TRS also plans to hold a massive public meeting later this month, in Warangal, to celebrate its formation day.

The TRS chief declared that April 14 to April 20 will be 'Gulabi (pink) coolie days'. He urged every party worker to work for at least two days to earn the money to meet transportation and other costs.

KCR said TRS had 51 lakh members when the government was formed in 2014 and the number had now gone up to over 75 lakh. The party is expected to get Rs 25 crore as membership fee.
 

IANS inputs