After the mega rally of BRS at Khammam, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, popularly known with his initials (KCR), is all set to turn the inauguration of the newly-constructed state secretariat building on 17 February into another occasion for bringing together a host of Opposition leaders sans the Congress.

The inaugural function will be followed by a massive public rally at the Secunderabad Parade Ground. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK Supremo MK Stalin, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar and RJD leader Tejaswi Yadav, JD (U) national president Lalan Singh representing Nitish Kumar’s party and Prakash Ambedkar, the grandson of BR Ambedkar will participate in the inaugural function as well as the public rally. This was announced by state Roads and Buildings Minister Vemula Prasant Reddy.

As was announced earlier, the under-construction seven-storey secretariat building on the banks of the iconic Hussain Sagar Lake will be named after Babasaheb BR Ambedkar. The secretariat building will be unveiled on 17 February, which happens to be the birthday of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao.

The chief minister, who believes in auspicious timing, has consulted Vedic pundits who suggested that the secretariat building should be inaugurated by Rao between 11:30 am and 12:30 pm on the said date. Prior to the inauguration, Vedic scholars will perform Vastu Puja, Chandi Yagam, Sudarshana Yagam and other rituals. Today, the chief minister inspected the ongoing construction work at the Secretariat.

On 18 January in Khammam several regional party leaders had participated in the first rally of the BRS after the name change was approved by the Election Commission of India. They included Kerala Chief Minister and CPI-M leader Pinarayi Vijayan, CPI general secretary D Raja, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, Delhi Chief Minister and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal and his party colleague and Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann.

The public meeting at Secunderabad Parade Ground, a favourite of Prime Minister Narendra Modi when it comes to public rallies in Hyderabad, will see a number of regional party leaders, all of them are in alliance with the Congress including the DMK, RJD and JMM.

The rally seems to be aimed at projecting Rao as a pan India leader mixing up with leaders of regional parties opposing the BJP. Secunderabad is largely populated by central government employees, both in service or retired.