KCR shifts focus to 2014 polls, attack on BJP confounds party
Going by the attacks on both the Congress and the BJP, it appears that TRS Chief K. Chandrasekhar Rao is approaching the forthcoming byelections with his sights firmly on the 2014 general elections. By all accounts, Mr Rao is keen to ensure a sizeable number of Assembly and Lok Sabha seats for the party in the general elections to call the shots at the Centre.
Observers feel that the TRS’ targeting both the Congress and the BJP is a clear indication of Mr Rao’s game-plan, even though it has left leaders of various parties, including some in the TRS, perplexed. “How can Telangana be achieved without the initiative of the Congress and the BJP," is the question doing the rounds. But it appears that Mr Rao is in no hurry now. The TRS chief and other party leaders have intensified their attack on the BJP after it refused to budge from its stand to contest the bypoll for Parkal.
With the Mahbubnagar debacle in mind, the TRS leadership is leaving nothing to chance in Parkal. Sources in the TRS said Mr Rao is angry with both the Congress (for dilly-dallying on Telangana and dragging the issue without a time frame) and the BJP, (its ally in the TJAC), for contesting against it.
Mr Rao told party leaders that there was no point in begging the Congress to carve a separate state. Likewise, there was no need to depend totally on the BJP in view of its past failure to keep its promise due to TD pressure. “Mr Rao’s plan is to strengthen the party, win the maximum number of Assembly and Lok Sabha seats and call the shots at the Centre in 2014. He expects the party to win at least 60 to 70 Assembly seats and a dozen odd Lok Sabha seats in the 2014 general election so that he could bargain for support,” a TD leader said.
TRS MLA Pocharam Srinivas Reddy opened Mr Rao”s line of thinking by questioning the BJP's cre-dibility on the Telangana issue. “BJP had promised Telangana in the past and backed out due to pressure from Telugu Desam. In 2014 elections too, the BJP, if it comes to power, would have to bank on regional parties. If a regional party opposes Telangana, what will be the fate of statehood,” questioned Mr Reddy.
Post new comment