SNCN ACHARYULU
Hyderabad
If the Telugu Desam Party gains strength in Telangana would that affect the TRS or the Congress? Definitely, it will affect the Congress and not the TRS. Moreover, it can benefit the TRS as the TDP will divide anti-TRS votes.
When Revanth Reddy was appointed the TPCC President many senior Congress leaders criticised the pressure from TDP President N. Chandrababu Naidu on the Congress high command which resulted in the appointment of Revanth as the TPCC President.
After the 2014 Assembly elections, the TDP came to power in Andhra Pradesh and Chandrababu completely ignored the Telangana TDP. Even though Chandrababu said many times that AP and Telangana are his two eyes he left the Telangana TDP to his party leaders.
The TDP leader and MLAs who won the 2014 elections thought that there is no political future for them if they continue in the party and they left and joined the TRS and the Congress.After Revanth was appointed the TPCC President some more TDP leaders joined the Congress.
After 10 years of rule by the TRS, the Telangana sentiment may not work like in the past.
There are speculations that Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao also has the same opinion and to divert public attention he renamed the TRS as BRS.
TDP chief Chandrababu also has realised this and has decided to concentrate on Telangana to strengthen his party.As a first step towards this, Chandrababu changed the Telangana TDP President and handed over his responsibilities to former MLC Kasani Gnaneswar. There are two strategies behind Chandrababu’s decision to strengthen the TDP in Telangana.
Chandrababu wants to take revenge on KCR who had branded him as anti-Telangana in the minds of the Telangana people. Now the BJP has emerged as a strong alternative to the TRS.The Congress is facing infighting and some of its leaders are leaving the party weakening it in the fight with the TRS. The BJP is not strong across the state. Its strength is limited to some places.
In fact, in United Andhra Pradesh the TDP was stronger in Telangana than in Seemandhra. But Chandrababu himself weakened the party in Telangana through some of his actions.
Chandrababu thinks that if the TDP gains strength in Telangana the BJP may come forward to have an alliance with his party to defeat the TRS. Chandrababu thinks that if the TDP and the BJP have an alliance in Telangana it will help him in Andhra Pradesh too.
With Chandrababu’s latest decision to strengthen the party in TS, Congress leaders who were earlier in the TDP may return to the TDP.In the fight between the TRS and the BJP the Congress has no role, say Congress leaders. There are many Assembly constituencies in and around Hyderabad where the TDP can decide the fortune of opposition candidates.
There is no chance for a TDP, BJP alliance as BJP leaders have openly said that there will be no alliance with the TDP. At present, the Congress, the BJP and the YSR Telangana Party are fighting for power. Now the TDP has also joined the battle against the TRS.
TRS supremo KCR also is happy with Chandrababu’s decision. If there are more opposition parties anti-TRS votes will get split and that will benefit the TRS.
If former TDP leaders of the Congress decide to join their parent party the Congress will weaken further.Former TDP leaders of the TRS may not join the TDP as some of them are Cabinet ministers and as they strongly think that the TRS will win the next Assembly elections.There are chances of some former TDP leaders returning to the party from the TRS if they are refused tickets in the next Assembly elections.
