Telangana: TRS may go solo in polls, a loss-loss situation for Congress

Hyderabad: Will he? Won't he? Everyone is asking these two questions in Telangana these days. The Telangana Rashra Samithi (TRS) chief K Chandrashekhara Rao seems to have changed his mind after the creation of Telangana state by Parliament. He is not saying anything on the possible tie up with the Congress in the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections to be held on April 30.

Before Parliament cleared the Telangana Bill, KCR had promised the Congress that he would merge his party TRS with it, if the UPA government creates a new state. The Congress took his words seriously and went ahead with the creation of Telangana, hoping that they could sweep the new state.

But, the shrewd KCR refused to merge the TRS with the Congress. On his return to Hyderabad after the creation of Telangana, KCR ruled out any possibility of a merger on the grounds that 90 per cent of his party workers are opposing it. He gave an evasive reply on the possible tie up with the Congress.

The Congress high command in New Delhi is still hoping that he will have a tie up the Congress. But, some top sources in the TRS are saying that even a tie-up is a distant possibility.

The recent election surveys are also predicting that the TRS alone can get up to 42 per cent votes in the Assembly elections in Telangana. In a multi corner contest, it may translate into more than two-third of the seats in the Assembly. The TRS is also expecting minimum 6 seats in the Lok Sabha.

The TRS is very strong in Nizamabad, Adilabad, Karimnagar and Warangal districts. It is also powerful in Medak and Mahbubnagar districts. KCR, a clever politician has already achieved the impossible task of creating a separate state of Telangana. Now, he is hoping that the grateful people of the new state will back him. According to people close to him he does not want to lose his independence by merging or aligning with the Congress. He fears that the merger or a tie-up with the Congress will leave the opposition space vacant and most likely the BJP-TDP alliance will fill that vacuum.

He has already tied up with the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) of Owaisis in Hyderabad. The MIM is hopeful of winning Hyderabad Lok Sabha seat and 7 Assembly seats. The CPI and CPM are also hoping that they can win at least 3-4 seats. These parties are also backing the TRS.

If KCR's TRS manages to win more than 50 seats in the Assembly, he will surely form a government with the help of these smaller parties. The Congress will be forced to sit in the opposition cursing its bad luck and wily KCR, whom they describe as 'wilier than the Congress'

Many in Telangana Congress are also against a merger or a tie-up with the TRS. They fear that the KCR family will dominate them. Moreover Telangana does not have any big Congress leader, who can enthuse the party workers and take on KCR's popularity. Union minister S Jaiapala Reddy is the senior most Congress leader from Telangana. But, he is not a mass leader.

The opposition TDP is hoping that it can win some seats in Telangana, if it manages to clinch a deal with the BJP. The BJP is also ready for it. The YSRCP of YS Jaganmohan Reddy will also be contesting in Telangana. Even though the YSRCP is unlikely to make any impact because of its strident anti-Telangana stand, it can win a handful of Assembly seats on AP - Telangana border.

Telugu cinema star Pavan Kalyan is also likely to field his candidates in some parts of Telangana. More than 8-9 political parties will be contesting in the elections this time, making it one of the most keenly watched polls in the recent history.

The biggest loser in the whole political drama is the Congress. The division of state has already cost the Congress AP or Seemandhra. With KCR's reluctance to join hands with it, it may even lose Telangana.

####Telangana: TRS may go solo in polls, a loss-loss situation for Congress