There are no permanent friends or enemies in politics. The visuals are still afresh. The TRS and the activists of Telangana movement held a massive resistance to Jagan’s tour of Mahabubabad as part of his Odarpu yatra to console the families who lost their loved once after the sudden demise of YS Rajasekhara Reddy. The TRS called Jagan a traitor and an enemy of Telangana . YS Rajasekhara Reddy who was the stumbling block to the formation of Telangana separate state pooh-poohed TRS MLAs. He has even engineered splits in TRS to weaken the movement for a separate state.
But, all this is part of history now. The TRS and YSR Congress are new friends as their common enemy is N Chandrababu Naidu. Obviously, KCR is the darling of all those who want to defeat Naidu.
But, why is KCR so keen on roping in YS Jagan into his federal front which is still amorphous.
Everyone refers to KCR’s famous comment of giving return gift. It is true.KCR is certainly keen on teaching a lesson to Chandrababu Naidu for teaming up with Congress to defeat him in Telangana. The TDP-Congress alliance though lost the polls miserably gave sleepless nights to TRS leadership and KCR is interested to strike a revenge.
However, politics is not just an ego clash between two leaders. Politics is more substantive than emotive.
In the recently concluded assembly elections where KCR received landslide, the TRS secured lead in 14 of the 17 Loksabha segments. Hyderabad is the MIM’s fortress. The Congress led people’s front could get a marginal lead over TRS in Khammam and the adjoining Mahabubabad Lok Sabha segments. KCR might have dismissed it as a self goal. The internal rumblings within the ruling party haves certainly cost dearer for TRS. Still, KCR is conscious of the fact that the undivided Khammam district has always been a difficult terrene. Together with Hyderabad, Khammam was not so enthusiastic during the Telangana movement too.
Precisely here in Khammam , the YSR Congress won a MP and three MLA seats in 2014 elections. However, as these leaders defected to TRS, the YSR congress got weakened and ultimately Jagan decided to not to contest in Telangana much to the delight of TRS.
KCR is conscious of the fact that YS Jagan enjoys considerable support among the Seemandhra electorate residing in Telangana state.KCR expects that the new found bonhomie between TRS and YSR Congress would yield dividend for the pink party in 2019 Loksabha elections.
Telangana has 17 seats in Lok Sabha . The party is expected to win at least 15 seats if assembly elections voting pattern repeats in Lok Sabha elections too. But still, TRS is a smaller force compared to other regional players like SP, TMC, BJD etc. Together with Jagan, KCR can show the support of a significant number of MPs ,as this will be a major bargaining chip for the Federal Front in the wake of a fractured verdict in New Delhi.
The TRS and the YSR Congress have something in Common besides hostility towards TDP . Both these parties are more opposed to Congress than BJP, fuelling speculation that Modi-Shah duo are behind this new found love between KCR and YS Jagan.
Thus, KCR has nothing to lose, but has everything to gain by allying with YS Jagan, especially after reaping such a massive harvest in recently held Assembly elections.
( Prof.K. Nageshwar is India’s noted political analyst. He is a former member of the Telangana Legislative Council and professor in the Department of Communication & Journalism, Osmania University, Hyderabad, India )
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