Confident of a clean sweep in Lok Sabha elections in Telangana, Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) could be eyeing a key role in the post-poll scenario at the Centre.

Specifically, this is about a role in government formation post-May 23, based on speculation over one of the biggest imponderables in Indian politics — the expected number of seats a political party is likely to win in an election.

With polling for all 17 Lok Sabha seats over in the first phase on April 11, TRS president and Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao is busy holding consultations with senior leaders and close aides on the possible scenarios at the Centre and how the party could play a role in national politics.

KCR, as Rao is known among his supporters, is said to be following the trends in various states to evaluate the situation and devise his strategy accordingly.

‘T News’, a Telugu news channel owned by KCR’s close aide and other pro-TRS media say that with 16 seats KCR will bring together other like-minded parties to play a crucial role in cobbling together a non-BJP and non-Congress alliance.

Other Telugu newspapers and television channels predict that KCR will be looking to play a greater role in shaping the next government at the Centre. They say that in the event of a fractured verdict, KCR would be ready to do business with anybody at the Centre as the state’s interests will be paramount for him.

Telangana is looking for greater allocation of funds for several ambitious projects undertaken by TRS, KCR may back anyone offering better deal for Telangana, says the local media.

The TRS chief remains confident that neither the BJP nor the Congress will be in a position to come to power even with the support of allies. A populist leader, his confidence comes from the self-assurance that his political formula of being liberal with sops is successful.

Last year KCR mooted the idea of a Federal Front as an alternative to the BJP and the Congress. He believes that conditions are conducive for regional parties to form a government at the Centre.

The TRS chief, who also visited various states to call on leaders of non-BJP and non-Congress parties, did not hide his ambition of playing a key role at the Centre. Though during the campaign, he made it clear that he has no wish to become the Prime Minister, his son and TRS working president K. T. Rama Rao did not rule out the possibility of his emerging as the leader.

“Anything is possible,” KTR had told IANS in a recent interview. He claimed that the country needed the intellect of KCR to address the issues, which both the ‘so-called national parties’ failed to solve.

In fact, a fractured mandate could see other southern Indian politicians jousting for a role at the Centre. Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy of YSR Congress Party could emerge as one of the big regional players after the polls.

Though the Federal Front has not yet taken a shape, KTR remains optimistic that this will take no time once the results were announced. He pointed that United Progressive Alliance (UPA) was formed and a leader was chosen only after the elections in 2004.

KCR did not contest the Lok Sabha elections and TRS leaders say his next move would depend on the post-poll scenario. He along with his daughter K. Kavitha and close aide B. Vinod Kumar will be the key figures in national politics. Kavitha and Vinod Kumar are seeking re-election from Nizamabad and Karimnagar Lok Sabha constituencies.

In the event of KCR moving to Delhi, his son KTR will be his successor as chief minister. The TRS chief dropped clear hints by appointing him as the TRS working president soon after the party won second term in power with a landslide victory.

Even in KCR’s first cabinet, KTR was seen as Number 2. The young leader held several key portfolios, including industry and information technology, and was the face of the government at key national and international events.

KCR did not induct KTR and his nephew and key party leader Harish Rao in the cabinet this time, apparently waiting for a clear picture to emerge at the Centre. He has not allotted key portfolios like finance, industry, agriculture and irrigation.

Harish Rao, who was the irrigation minister in the previous cabinet, may be part of the cabinet headed by KTR — though there have been reports of differences between KTR and Harish, they publicly denied it.

During the campaign for the Lok Sabha elections, TRS urged people to give it all 16 seats (leaving Hyderabad for its ally All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen) so that the party can decide who should form the government in New Delhi and who should be the Prime Minister.

Hyderabad: After brief period of strategic silence on AP politics, Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekhar Rao spoke on Andhra Pradesh a day before the conclusion of election campaign. Though everybody was expecting some bold statement from KCR on AP politics on last day of campaign, the TRS supremo exerted his support to the demand for Special Category Status (SCS) by Andhra Pradesh. Will it benefit YSRCP?

“TDP and Jana Sena have been campaigning highlighting the need of special status to AP, while criticizing TRS for blocking this need. Chandrababu Naidu and Pawan Kalyan also spoke about under current friendship of KCR and YS Jaganmohan Reddy. In early phase of poll campaign, KCR spoke positively about YSRCP, but immediately stopped his support after observing backlash from Andhraites. KCR has realized that if he speaks about supporting YSRCP that’ll boomarng to him as it spoils the winning chances for YSRCP. This is similar to Chandrababu Naidu’s campaigning in Telangana and it boomeranged for TDP as it benefited TRS. If KCR talks positively about YSRCP, this would benefit TDP. That’s the reason, KCR maintained silence during the course of election campaigning and spoke positively about special status to AP and extended his support to this cause on last leg of poll campaign. The aim of breaking his silence by announcing support to special status is to make Andhra voters positive towards YSRCP,” observes a senior political analyst.

Speaking at a public meeting in Vikarabad on Monday, KCR said: “We’re not against people of Andhra Pradesh, but certainly against N Chandrababu Naidu as he created problems and continuing to do so. We would like to develop Telangana and also want AP to prosper. The TRS government would like to support the demand of AP for special status. We have also no opposition to Polavaram project. My ideal is that both the Telugu states should prosper without causing troubles to each other.”

Kalvakuntla Chandrashekhar Rao, who revived the Telangana movement and achieved the goal of statehood for the region, is not only firmly in the saddle but is also grooming his son as his successor.

KCR, as the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) supremo is popularly known, took over as the Chief Minister of India’s youngest state for a second consecutive term in December 2018, following his party’s landslide victory.

With plans to play a key role in national politics in the event of non-BJP and non-Congress parties emerging as the biggest block in Lok Sabha, the 65-year-old has left no one in doubt as to who his successor will be.

After leading TRS to a resounding victory, KCR made his son K. Taraka Rama Rao the party’s working president. KTR, as the young leader is popularly known, has not been inducted in the cabinet by KCR. As the TRS chief has also not allocated key portfolios, the buzz in the party is that he is waiting for a clear picture to emerge at the Centre after the Lok Sabha polls.

KTR was a minister in KCR’s earlier cabinet and was seen as the number two in both the government and the party. A polyglot, like his father, and known for good oratory skills, KTR was often been the de facto Chief Minister, representing the state at several events.

The US-educated leader with an information technology background, held key portfolios of information technology, industry and urban development in the previous cabinet. With his connect with the youth and social outreach effectively using the social media tools, he has become a popular face of the TRS.

Be it holding talks with IT and other industry honchos, signing of MoUs or delivering talks on the new state’s initiatives at mega events, he has hogged the limelight. Politically, he played a key role in getting leaders, including legislators from other parties, join the TRS. He also led the party to its first victory in the municipal elections in Hyderabad in 2015.

KTR and his only sister, K. Kavitha, entered politics when the Telangana movement led by their father was at its peak. KTR made his electoral debut from Sircilla in Karimnagar in 2009. He was re-elected in 2014 and 2018.

Kavitha, who mobilised women during the Telangana movement through cultural activities, was elected to Lok Sabha from Nizamabad constituency in 2014. She is seeking re-election in the April 11 polls.

Both KTR and Kavitha dismissed criticism by their political rivals that KCR is encouraging dynasty politics. “We have been elected by people,” is their common refrain.

When KCR revived the Telangana movement by floating the TRS in 2001 after quitting the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), his nephew T. Harish Rao was one of those who were by his side. Making a modest beginning as media incharge, he grew stronger in the organisation and played a key role in the movement.

Harish Rao became a minister in the Congress-led coalition government in 2004. A leader with considerable support at the grassroots, he has been elected to Assembly six times from Siddipet and improved his majority with every election. In the recent polls, he retained the seat with a margin of over 1.20 lakh votes.

There have been reports of Harish Rao being unhappy over the way KCR brought in his son and has been promoting him as his successor. However, publicly the cousins deny any differences.

Harish Rao, who was irrigation minister in KCR’s earlier cabinet, has not been inducted this time amid the buzz that the TRS chief is sidelining him to pave way for his son’s ascension.

Harish Rao’s induction in the cabinet may depend on the post-poll scenario at the Centre. If KCR remains the Chief Minister, Harish may again find a cabinet berth.

Hyderabad: Telangana chief minister has invited former TDP minister Mandava Venkateshwar Rao into the party. Mandava is a former colleague of KCR during the TDP regime in the united Andhra Pradesh. Why KCR is luring Mandava is the question making rounds in the political circles.

“The answer is simple. The contesting of 185 candidates in Nizamabad is posing a major hurdle for TRS and Mandava has good hold in the farming community in the Nizamabad district. That’s the reason, KCR has personally went to Mandava’s home to invite him to join the TRS party,” said a political analyst.

With 185 candidates contesting in Lok Sabha constituency, Nizamabad has attracted the nation’s attention. Farmers of turmeric and jowar turned against the TRS over not getting minimum support price (MSP) for their produce. Though it’s central subject, farmers are showing their ire over TRS. In protest against the Centre and state governments, farmers numbering over 185 have filed their nominations for the Nizamabad Lok Sabha constituency. This has created a tough time for sitting MP Kalvakuntla Kavitha, daughter of KCR.

Mandava’s joining TRS came up for discussion among the political circles before assembly elections also. Mandava was invited before Assembly elections in December 2018, but he didn’t show interest as TDP was contesting under Mahakutami banner.

Cutting across the party lines, KCR and Mandava have cordial relations. Mandava was MLA for five terms and served as major irrigation minister during the TDP ruling in the united AP.

Farmers are demanding for ballot paper instead of EVMs and Congress is also supporting this demand.

It’s difficult for rural voters to identify the candidate of their choice sorting out 185 candidates on EVM, said farmers in a representation to the Election Commission (EC), while requesting for normal ballot paper. This created concerns among the TRS cadres as it’ll dent the vote bank. The truck and similar vehicle symbols damaged TRS vote bank in the Assembly elections as rural voters got confused and voted for other vehicle symbols instead of car symbol. With lengthy list of 185 candidates in the fray, TRS is worried over the poll pattern in the rural areas of Nizamabad Lok Sabha constituency. Barring Mandava, all the TDP leaders and cadres joined TRS.

The K. Chandrashekar Rao government in Telangana performed ‘below average’ on the most important concerns of voters including employment opportunities, healthcare facilities and public transport, says a report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).

Released on Friday, the ‘Telangana Survey 2018’ said the government also performed “poorly” in providing water for agriculture and tackling problems arising due to mining and quarrying.

Across the state, the major concerns of voters were better employment opportunities (65.99 per cent), better hospitals and primary healthcare centres (33.23 per cent) and improved public transport (25.89 per cent), according to the survey report by the election watchdog.

In rural Telangana, the top priorities were employment opportunities (63 per cent), higher price realization for farm products (45 per cent) and subsidy for seeds and fertilizers (44 per cent). The government performed ‘below average’ on all three, it said.

Employment (71 per cent), noise pollution (50 per cent) as well as air and water pollution (40 per cent) continued to be huge concerns for the urban voters.

Hyderabad: Unlike his previous speeches, TRS supremo and Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekhar Rao has changed his poll campaign strategy and for the first time he played Hindu card. This is totally against KCR’s style of functioning as he always projected himself and his party as secular and Telangana statehood with national patriotism, observed a senior political analyst. May be this is to check BJP vote bank after the recent surgical strikes on Pakistan, he opined.

With an objective of clean sweep in Lok Sabha elections in Telangana by bagging 17 MP seats including one Hyderabad seat by AIMIM, Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) is targetting BJP and Congress. In his recent public meeting at Karimnagar, KCR criticised BJP as it’s acting as a sole representative of Hinduism, while asserting that there’re no Pakka Hindu than himself. KCR further claimed that no one in the country performed ‘Havans’ than him.

“Playing this Hindu card is nothing, but checking BJP from gaining vote bank in Telangana after surgical strikes on Pakistan. The positive image for BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi across the country is gaining. Observing this, KCR might have said he’s the Pakka Hindu. On the other side, KCR is also attacking Congress, while highlighting that this grand-old party can’t get over 120 seats. If TRS wins 16 MP seats in Telangana, KCR assures mobilising support of 160 MPs at the Centre. By saying so, KCR is assuring Telangana voters to cast their votes for TRS in Lok Sabha polls, while diluting role of BJP and Congress,” explains the analyst.