KCR turns 72: Festive mood at Telangana Bhavan in Hyderabad as 72-kg cake marks birthday

• BRS celebrated KCR's 72nd birthday with grand events statewide
• Service drives and tributes highlighted KCR's legacy in Telangana
• NRI celebrations held in US, UK, and Australia for KCR's birthday

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The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) on Tuesday marked the 72nd birthday of its founder and former Chief Minister, Kalvakuntla Chandrasekhar Rao, with a grand display of organisational strength and grassroots outreach, underscoring his enduring influence in Telangana politics despite the party currently sitting in the opposition.

A festive atmosphere enveloped Telangana Bhavan in Hyderabad, the party’s headquarters, which was bedecked with flags and banners. In a symbolic celebration, party working president KT Rama Rao (KTR) and senior leader T Harish Rao joined other key functionaries to cut a 72-kilogram cake, a gesture that visibly enthused the cadre gathered on the premises. The event also featured the screening of a documentary chronicling Chandrasekhar Rao’s life and his decades-long political journey.

Across the 33 districts of the state, the birthday was observed not merely as a ritual but as a day of service. Party workers are competing in large-scale service programmes, including food distribution drives, mega blood donation camps and the distribution of fruits in government hospitals. These activities are a testament to a leader whose popularity, forged during a ten-year reign as Chief Minister, appears resilient even after the electoral setback of 2023.

The ‘trendsetter' and the architect of Telangana

Widely referred to by his initials KCR, Chandrasekhar Rao’s political career is indelibly linked to the creation of Telangana. His journey as a mass leader reached a decisive phase in 2001 when he founded the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), later rebranded as the BRS, with the singular objective of reviving the movement for statehood — a demand that had largely receded from the national discourse at the time.

Through a combination of sustained agitation and political negotiation, he forced the issue back onto the Centre’s agenda. His fast-unto-death in 2009 served as a watershed moment, intensifying public sentiment and accelerating the bifurcation process. When Telangana was formally carved out of Andhra Pradesh on June 2, 2014, KCR took oath as its first Chief Minister.

Supporters credit him not only with achieving the state but with shaping its administrative and physical infrastructure. During his two consecutive terms from 2014 to 2023, his government prioritised irrigation and welfare with flagship initiatives such as the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme, Mission Bhagiratha (drinking water) and Mission Kakatiya (tank restoration).

Welfare models and a global outreach

In the realm of governance, KCR introduced what political observers call "revolutionary" schemes that set a template for other states. Programmes like the Rythu Bandhu (investment support for farmers) and the Dalit Bandhu (entrepreneurial support for Dalit families) were positioned as direct benefit transfers that bypassed bureaucratic layers. This approach earned him the moniker of a "Telangana trendsetter" among his followers.

Under his stewardship, Hyderabad strengthened its standing as a leading hub for information technology and pharmaceuticals, attracting major investments that positioned Telangana as a key economic player in southern India.

While critics have occasionally raised questions regarding fiscal management and the execution of mega projects, his central, undisputed role in the Telangana statehood movement remains the cornerstone of his legacy. This narrative was reflected in the social media outpouring on Tuesday, where supporters flooded platforms with tributes, with many hailing him as the "Father of the Nation of Telangana" and the "Maker of Modern Telangana."

Wishes from far and wide

The tributes transcended political lines, with leaders from various parties, as well as figures from the film industry and corporate world, conveying their greetings via X (formerly Twitter).

The BRS’s organisational machinery also demonstrated its expatriate reach. The party’s NRI wing has orchestrated parallel celebrations in countries including the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia, where Telangana’s diaspora gathered to mark the occasion. Special songs commemorating his leadership and expressing hope for his return to the chief ministerial chair have also been released by ardent supporters.