Who should bask in the afterglow of the success of the maiden visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Telangana? Naturally, it should be the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). But, paradoxically, it is the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) that is celebrating the scintillating success of Modi’s Lal Bahadur Stadium Public meeting, apart from its own show of grandeur at Komatibanda in the Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s native Gajwel Assembly constituency.
Here are the five reasons why TRS is super happy with Modi’s visit.
- The build-up for Modi’s visit was portrayed as an effort by KCR. Naturally, the success of the Prime Minister’s tour too goes to the credit of the Chief Minister. KCR waxed eloquent on Modi and his governance. He went to the extent of eulogizing Modi’s administration as corruption-free and that he was seeing such a clean government in 40 years of his political career for the first time. Even Modi was bowled over by this and he tweeted it; and as if he took a cue from KCR, the PM used it in the BJP rally later.
- Modi had the courtesy of not uttering a word against KC Rao and his administration or the TRS. Upon feeing immensely happy to find a mammoth gathering, a beaming Modi said he was seeing a “bright future of Telangana” in the stadium. But, he took the necessary care not to say that it would be the BJP’s moment of glory in 2019. Not a word or a jibe that would irk KCR was uttered by anybody form the LB Stadium dais, except for some token and very customary remarks on the unfulfilled poll promises of KCR by Telangana BJP president Dr K Laxman. This was taken in the right spirit even by the TRS ranks.
- After all, Modi is one person who knows that a right face to lead the party from the front can alone fetch victory at the hustings. For, it was Modi’s face the BJP had masked itself with and marketed it in the run-up for the elections in 2014 and will do so in 2019 too. Neither the Congress nor the BJP have a face to showcase that can match the popularity of KCR in Telangana. The BJP too doesn’t seem to make any effort in that direction to prepare someone to be its brand identity, for very obvious reasons. This naturally jacks up the joy in the TRS.
- Modi’s barbs at the opposition and an intended rejoinder to the smudge thrown at the BJP that it was anti-Dalit from the public dais in Hyderabad may just pass as a national, if not notional, rhetoric by the ruling party. Except for the suicide of Rohit Vemula and the agitations that ensued, there is no incident that has a palpable significance for the southern State of Telangana, or for that matter, AP, to feel guilty about when it comes to attacks on Dalits. Modi’s rejoinder was targeted at something that is geographically unconnected to Telangana. TRS insulated itself of such a charge, cleverly. The BJP stayed away from the criticism of the TRS in the recent past, including on contentious issues like Mallannasagar land acquisition.
- Modi’s promise that Delhi will be one with the people of Telangana in meeting their aspirations and his reciprocation to KCR’s encomiums that the Chief Minister always talked emotionally about water for the people of his State was an acknowledgement of the bonhomie between the due. At least, the hope of joining the National Democratic Alliance Government at the Centre is kept alive by the demonstration of warmth and goodwill by the Prime Minister to KCR. And, what’s more, neither Modi not Venkaiah Naidu uttered even a word or a reference about Andhra Pradesh or Chandrababu Naidu.
