Telangana Governor ESL Narasimhan announced on Thursday the state Assembly has been dissolved, and appointed K Chandrashekhar Rao as the caretaker Chief Minister.
The Governor made the announcement after CM Rao submitted a cabinet resolution recommending dissolution of the House.
“Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao called on the Governor and presented the resolution of the Council of Ministers, recommending the dissolution of the first Legislative Assembly of Telangana state,” said a statement from Raj Bhavan.
The Governor said he had accepted Rao’s resignation and told him to continue as the caretaker Chief Minister.
The move clears the decks for early elections in the state, and the decision now rests with the Election Commission.
In normal circumstances, election to the Telangana assembly would coincide with the Lok Sabha polls. CM Rao is scheduled to address a press conference later today.
Rao had been hinting at such a step for weeks now. On Sunday, when the party held a huge rally in Ranga Reddy district, it was expected that the CM would announce the decision there. Rao, however, did not make any such announcement, though he said he had been empowered to take a decision on this.
According to political observers, the move aims to keep his voter base together. In the event of the party completing a full term, the state elections would have clashed with the Parliamentary polls and the focus would have shifted from local issues.