About

Kalvakuntla Chandrashekar Rao (KCR)

Kalvakuntla Chandrashekar Rao (born 17 February 1954), popularly known as KCR, is an Indian politician and the current Leader of the Opposition in the Telangana Legislative Assembly, representing the Gajwel constituency. He is the founder and president of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), earlier known as Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS). Widely recognized as the architect of the Telangana statehood movement, KCR went on to become the first Chief Minister of Telangana, serving for nearly a decade.

Early Life

KCR was born on 17 February 1954 in Chintamadaka village of the then Hyderabad State (present-day Telangana) to Raghava Rao and Venkatamma. Belonging to the Velama community, he grew up in a large family with nine sisters and one elder brother. Passionate about literature, he completed his Master’s degree in Telugu Literature from Osmania University, Hyderabad.

Political Journey

KCR began his political career in the 1970s with the Youth Congress in Medak, where he actively supported Indira Gandhi, especially after her defeat in the 1977 Lok Sabha elections. In 1983, he contested as an independent candidate from Siddipet but narrowly lost to Congress leader Ananthula Madan Mohan. Later that year, he joined the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), where he steadily rose through the ranks. From 1985 to 1999, he won four consecutive Assembly elections from Siddipet, establishing himself as a strong regional leader.

During his time in TDP, KCR served in various key roles. He was appointed Minister for Drought and Relief between 1987 and 1988 in N. T. Rama Rao’s cabinet, became TDP convener for Medak, Nizamabad, and Adilabad districts in 1990, and later took charge as Transport Minister in Chandrababu Naidu’s cabinet in 1996. From 2000 to 2001, he also served as the Deputy Speaker of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly.

In 2001, KCR made a historic political move by resigning from TDP and founding the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) on 27 April, with the single objective of achieving a separate Telangana state. Over the next decade, he emerged as the face of the Telangana movement, leading protests, hunger strikes, and mobilizing massive public support. His relentless efforts eventually bore fruit when the Indian government approved the formation of Telangana in 2014.

On 2 June 2014, Telangana officially became the 29th state of India, and KCR was sworn in as its first Chief Minister. His government rolled out several flagship welfare schemes, including Mission Bhagiratha for safe drinking water, Mission Kakatiya for lake restoration, and Rythu Bandhu to support farmers. In 2018, he secured a second consecutive term as Chief Minister, during which he further expanded welfare programs and rebranded TRS as the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) in 2022, aiming to extend his party’s presence to national politics.

Following the Congress party’s victory in the 2023 Telangana Assembly elections, KCR transitioned to the role of Leader of the Opposition while continuing to represent Gajwel as MLA and lead the BRS as its president.