Are Andhra settlers not yet accepted as Telanganites in Telangana state? The question comes up whenever CM KCR wants to bring it up and whenever he makes elaborate speeches to draw boundaries to all these settlers on how to live, what to do and what not to do in Hyderabad and rest of the state .
These indirect anti-settler words of KCR become more eloquent around election season expectedly that he sets his sights upon the vote bank politics that are bound to fuel Telangana sentiment.
Now, KCR advises Andhras not to worry about their identity or future. The settlers just need to behave like Telanganites so that they will not face any problems in the state, he says. But he doesn’t come straight to the point as to what exactly Andhras should do in order to get Telangana identity. It is because he can’t explain that point in detail as it may sound unparliamentary or unconstitutional.
Probably, KCR may accept Andhra settlers as fellow Telanganites if they vote en bloc to his TRS party in every election. We know elections are held in Telangana as per whims and fancies of KCR. So every now and then, settlers are put to test whether they are behaving like Telanganites or not.
KCR’s comments against Andhras never fail to create magic among his vote bank communities. As long as TRS contests elections, the issue of settlers and Telangana sentiment will not die down. And, this won’t give any scope for development and other issues to dominate poll scene. Rival leaders of Congress and TDP have no choice but to make unrelated and personal attacks on KCR and his family rather than question them on developmental issues.
Settlers belonging to Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions are called Andhras usually. In united AP, Andhra leaders had the opportunity to rule mostly because overall size of these two regions is far more than Telangana. There are 175 assembly constituencies in Rayalaseema and Coastal Andhra put together but there are only 119 seats in Telangana.
After state division, there is no way a sub grouping like Andhras can ever aspire for political power in Telangana ie from 2014. Yet, KCR is raising this issue, speaking in a subtle manner like “Andhras may continue here. They should act like Telanganites”.
Lakhs of Andhras settled in Hyderabad just because it was capital city of united AP for over six decades. No Andhra politician ever guessed that Telangana would become a reality. Those leaders never bothered to think of problems that settlers may face if Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema are separated from capital city. Congress dared to separate them and it had bitten the dust in AP and not able to rise in Telangana.
Now, Andhra settlers do not have a single safe alternative to vote for in December polls. They cannot vote for Congress as it divided the state unscientifically. They cannot embrace BJP as it is continuing legacy of injustice towards AP. TDP is not an immediate choice since this party is eliminated from the race to power in Telangana.
Coming early polls pose a huge challenge for Andhra settlers. They can do nothing except remain as silent spectators to the poll show.
