Hyderabad: IT and municipal administration minister K.T. Rama Rao on Monday said he had no immediate ambition to become chief minister of the state, and asserted that his father, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, would continue as Chief Minister at least for 10 more years.

“The Chief Minister is just 64 now, younger than many. He is very aggressive; when he wants to do something for Telangana state, he will do it. Telangana state requires such an aggressive Chief Minister,” Mr Rama Rao told the media at Jagtial district headquarters, part of erstwhile Karimnagar district on Monday. He took potshots at Opposition parties, including the Bharatiya Janata Party.

He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had to take out a road show in Surat on Sunday, which shows that the BJP has lost confidence about a repeat win in the coming Assembly polls in Gujarat.

The Congress, he said, “is in a pathetic condition and it will not be surprising if its tally in the Lok Sabha comes down to 20 seats”.

There is no plan to go in for early polls in TS, he said. “Why should we do that when we are sure of coming back to power for many years to come?”

In Telangana, he said, “We do not have any political alternative to the TRS. Only namesake parties are there. The BJP is trying to strengthen its base here but there is no chance for them. The TRS is confident of coming to power not only in 2019, but after that too,” Mr Rama Rao averred.

Replying to questions regarding his relations with minister T. Harish Rao and the latter’s future plans, in the event he becomes Chief Minister, he said he had no immediate ambition to become the Chief Minister, there are no differences with Mr Harish Rao and they have been very good friends since childhood.

“Next week I will be visiting Siddipet to participate in a programme organised by Harish anna who represents the Assembly segment. I don't think he will leave TRS and join some other party. There is no need for that and what you people (the media) write is all speculative and not based on facts,” Mr Rama Rao said.

He took a swipe at AP minister Nara Lokesh too: “Lokesh called me a non-local in Telangana and claimed he was born here and a local. What has happened now? He has joined the AP Cabinet and become a voter there. Now you tell me, who is local and who is not?”