The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : TRS chief changes tack

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Monday, Oct 20, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

TRS chief changes tack

S. Nagesh Kumar

HYDERABAD: A distinct shift from its earlier political strategy of launching shrill attacks against those whom it perceived as less-favourably disposed to statehood for Telangana has placed the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) in a position where other parties see it as a force with which they could align beneficially.

No more the harsh diatribes against the Telugu Desam and the Left who were earlier seen as stumbling blocks for Telangana, though the Congress remains at the receiving end. TRS president K. Chandrasekhar Rao has apparently realised after his party’s debacle in the May 2008 byelections in Telangana that political savvy rather than aggression will yield dividends.

Realpolitik

How deep this reality has sunk in can be gauged by Mr. Rao’s recent assertion that his goal was to see the defeat of the Congress at the hustings; Telangana could be on the backburner for now. It was realpolitik at its best.

In changing tack, the TRS president was looking at a larger scheme of things – unity of all the non-BJP Opposition parties, as much as the Left parties and the Telugu Desam were, to defeat the Congress. But the hitch in forging such an alliance was the CPI (M)’s opposition to division of the State and the TDP’s earlier aversion to separate Telangana.

Apart from the common denominator of the desire to trounce, these parties realise that Telangana with 119 Assembly seats could hold the key to decide the winner.

The TDP recognised that only an alliance with the TRS could help it defeat the Congress but there was no way this friendship could sustain without it doing a U-turn on Telangana, which it did.

The CPI (M), though, did not dilute its stand on Telangana.

Cause for concern

Winning a good chunk of seats in Telangana was also essential for the TDP since it had conceded considerable ground to Chiranjeevi’s Praja Rajyam in coastal Andhra.

The massive turnout of people for the film actor’s rallies in north Coastal districts, hitherto considered TDP’s bastions, was enough cause for worry and the Telangana issue could brook no further delay. The astute politician that he is, Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao was quick to seize the initiative by doing the unthinkable – calling on CPI (M) secretary B. V. Raghavulu at his party office and holding unpublicised parleys with Mr. Chandrababu Naidu’s representatives. As a result, a grand alliance is in place without differences on Telangana coming in the way.

Caught in a dilemma

In contrast, the Congress’ responses to the evolving situation on Telangana have been leaden-footed as much as the TRS’ have been nimble. It is caught in a bind with its leaders making feeble protests either by highlighting the negative implications for Andhra and Rayalaseema in the event of the State’s bifurcation the State or by demanding declaration of Hyderabad as a Union Territory.

Even a statement by Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy quoting MIM president Asaduddin Owaisi to say that Muslims were opposed to separate Telangana sparked off a controversy within the party when D. Srinivas retorted by saying that MIM was not the sole representative of the Muslims. Much will depend on how the Congress responds to the TRS chief’s latest manoeuvre of offering support if the ruling party supports Telangana.

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