New front to checkmate TRS?

A few Congress leaders preparing ground for launching the front

Efforts to forge a new political front to check the influence of Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) as well as that of the YSR Congress, which is gaining ground in Telangana, have begun among a section of the Congress leaders.

Strong indications were given by some Ministers and MLAs from the Congress and the TDP that the ground was being prepared for launching the Front to fight the next general elections. Already, preliminary discussions were being held among Congress leaders who are here to attend the Assembly session.

Once this idea takes shape, some Congress MPs, MLAs and Ministers might quit their posts to launch the Front. The Front could also provide a platform to TDP leaders inimical to the TRS and the YSR Congress. Under these circumstances, they would keep the TRS at an arm’s length.

Former Rajya Sabha member K. Keshav Rao is one of the prime movers of this idea of roping in leaders of all political parties. Panchayat Raj Minister K. Jana Reddy and Union Minister S. Jaipal Reddy are tipped to back the Front, if Centre fails to provide clarity to the statehood issue soon.

Former Minister R. Damodar Reddy let the cat out of the bag when he stated on Saturday that Mr. Jana Reddy had already been approached with the proposal. He claimed that at least six Ministers and 20 Congress MLAs were prepared to quit if the Centre rejected the statehood demand.

A Minister from Telangana admitted that the YSR Congress was gaining ground in the region as the voters had seen through the poor performance of the TRS in the last few years, after voting for its nominees. The situation would change once the YSR Congress was in the fray. Voters would switch loyalties if the efforts of TRS chief K. Chandrasekhar Rao did not fructify.

“Why can’t we fill the vacuum and garner votes?” the Minister said and went on to add that if the Telangana Front was not formed, the ruling party would concede the advantage to YSR Congress. Sources said some TDP leaders had recently met Mr. Jana Reddy and discussed the idea of the Front.