TRS ups the ante for sycophancy, 'Palabhishekams' for KCR cutouts and posters

While the chief ministers of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh are known competitors, their acolytes are also competing in a parallel contest - sycophancy.

While many ministers and legislators touched Andhra chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu's feet as he stepped into his new office at the temporary secretariat at Velagapudi, ministers in Telangana are taking a different approach.

On Monday, Telangana deputy CM Mahmood Ali performed a ‘Palabhishekam’ to a photo of chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao at Charminar in Old City.

(Screenshot: IndToday)

When asked about it, Mahmood Ali said that he did that to celebrate KCR being ranked first in the ‘ease of doing business’ rating along with Andhra, that was released by the Centre on Monday.

However, this is not an isolated incident. 

Telangana MP Balka Suman gathered with some other party leaders at TRS Bhavan in Hyderabad this week after KCR was rated the most 'popular' CM, to undertake a similar exercise of pouring milk over his poster.

He has been known to do it in the past too.

@KTRTRS Why are our politicians wasttng milk for abhishekam of KCR flexis when poor children are dying of mal-nutrition? pic.twitter.com/NtfkAU1ttL

— Mahesh Reddy (@mreddy60) October 8, 2016

Telangana Minister (Law, Housing, Endowments) Allola Indrakaran Reddy, who defected to the TRS after winning on a BSP seat, also performed a Palabhishekam to a poster, after the Nirmal district was granted in early October.

(Screenshot: T News)

According to reports, the sycophancy is in the context of a possible cabinet reshuffle and an exercise to fill nominated posts.

The New Indian Express reported that even a Bharat Ratna is being demanded for the chief minister, with a huge banner erected at Liberty Circle in Hyderabad, which reads, ‘The Centre should confer Bharata Ratna on KCR as his 14-year unrelenting fight realised the long-cherished dream of Telangana people to have their own State.’

Considering that KCR has already been portrayed as Lord Ram and temples have also been built for him, a Bharat Ratna does not seem like a far-fetched demand.

While, the chief minister's son and state IT minister KT Rama Rao won a lot of praise on social media for asking the GHMC to remove posters and banners that were celebrating his (KTR’s) birthday, KCR himself remains mum on the fandom.

Read - Not just Jayalalithaa: Andhra CM Naidu has ministers and MLAs falling at his feet too