Hyderabad: Telangana chief minister and TRS supremo K Chandrashekhar Rao is exploring several options on how to support YSRCP, the opposition party in Andhra Pradesh, to take on N Chandrababu Naidu-led Telugu Desam Party (TDP) as part of his return gift promise to the AP CM. Advisers to KCR said to have hinted extending moral support to YSRCP without directly venturing into AP politics. However, KCR will take a decision within two months as soon as he gets his survey reports on AP political scenario.
KCR has roped in a special task for carrying out independent surveys to gauge the Andhraites’ pulse on several factors such as a recent meeting between TRS working president KT Rama Rao and YSRCP president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. The surveys will also focus on AP voters’ reaction to the friendship between TRS and YSRCP. Above all, the survey will be keen on ascertaining the sentiment and feelings of Andhraites if KCR directly campaigns on behalf of YSRCP in Andhra Pradesh on the lines of N Chandrababu Naidu, who campaigned for Mahakutami in Hyderabad and Khammam districts.
KCR is known for his independent surveys as he did several times in the past. Before Assembly elections, KCR got his own independent surveys on not only his MLAs and MPs, but also on MLAs from opposition parties as well.
Few suggestions to KCR also highlighted the problem of repeating the same result if TS CM directly campaigns in AP.
“If Andhraites don’t like KCR’s direct campaigning, then it’ll benefit Chandrababu Naidu,” observes a senior political analyst.
The teams engaged in independent surveys are expected to table their reports by March, according to sources at Telangana Bhavan. It may be recalled that based on his independent surveys, KCR at Kongara Kalan public meeting on September 2, 2018, four days before dissolving the Assembly, exerted confidence of winning 100 Assembly seats. Closer to his forecast, TRS won 88 Assembly seats in Assembly elections held in December 2018.