Hyderabad: Senior Congress leader and deputy leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council, Mohammad Shabbir Ali on Monday asked Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao why he had developed a sudden love for Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Calling Mr Rao a “U-turn Chief Minister” for frequently changing his stance, Mr Ali asked, “Is this sudden love intended to make your daughter Kavitha a Union minister?”

The Telangana Congress leader said Mr Rao had already accommodated his son and son-in-law in the state Cabinet and had given them budgets of about Rs 30,000 crore each and now he wanted his daughter to get a berth in the Union Cabinet.

He reminded the CM that he had earlier accused Mr Modi of implementing a communal agenda. He said that Mr Rao had taken a U-turn and had started praising Mr Modi’s style of functioning.

Mr Rao suddenly developed so much love for Mr Modi that he convened a meeting with higher officials asking them to implement the Swachh Bharat scheme at all levels, Mr Ali alleged. “There is a hidden agenda behind Mr Rao’s U-turn. He is trying to get his daughter into the Union Cabinet,” he alleged.

He said Mr Rao had called for a bandh to oppose the merger of seven Khammam mandals with AP, but later, maintained silence. He also said that Mr Rao had blamed AP for the TS’ power crisis and even threatened to approach the courts to get the state its share, but, had kept quiet all these months.

KCR aims to gain from centre snubbing Naidu

It has been rumoured that since Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu is having a tough time with Mr Modi denying funds worth Rs 20,000 crore for the new capital in AP, special category status and additional funds, Mr Rao decided to grab the opportunity and be pally with the Centre to get funds.

During Monday’s meeting, Mr Rao apparently asked Mr Modi for funds for projects like Pranahita Chevella along with national project status, Mission Kakatiya, Telangana drinking water grid, Sircilla power loom cluster, funds for power and irrigation projects, early bifurcation of the AP HC and institutions manned jointly and special package for the new state etc.