A seemingly sane political leader as he is called by many, Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) and TRS supremo Wednesday took to launching a toxic anti-BJP rant, and called upon various regional opposition players to team up against the Modi government. KCR was addressing a joint meeting of the TRS Legislature Party, TRS Parliamentary Party, and its Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) division in-charges when he revealed that in order to take on the BJP government at the Centre, a “national conclave” of the country’s main opposition leaders would be organised in the second week of December in Hyderabad, which would be hosted by the Telangana Chief Minister himself.
KCR accused the Modi government of implementing “anti-people, anti-farmer and anti-worker” policies. It is not as though the TRS has been suddenly reminded that they must act like an opposition party and take on the Central government. In fact, many even perceived KCR as an informal ally of the NDA government in Delhi until now. However, the BJP’s almost meteoric rise in Telangana is now giving KCR the chills, and it is the same rise of the saffron party that the TRS supremo is now looking to control with a counter-offensive. In fact, the Telangana Chief Minister went to the extent of saying that his party would be launching a nationwide agitation against the Modi government.
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KCR claimed that the NDA government has not implemented a single programme or policy for the welfare of people at large; farmers, Dalits, tribals and other weaker sections of society. “At the time of elections, they (BJP) evoke the sentiments of the people by referring to Pakistan, Pulwama, Kashmir only take political mileage,” her said, adding, “They unleash propaganda that they have done something at the borders. At the same time, they have no guts to fight against China.” All of a sudden, what has necessitated such a vile attack by KCR on the Modi government? The saffron party’s by poll win in Dubakka could be a prime reason, a seat which is surrounded by TRS strongholds and is itself one.
The BJP had won four Lok Sabha seats from Telangana in 2019, and garnered a vote share of around 24 percent, emerging as a formidable player in the state’s opposition ranks. Ever since, Telangana has been on the BJP top leadership’s radar, and the party has been achieving milestones in the state one after the other. The most recent one is the win in Dubakka, which has elated the party and made them believe that growth for the BJP in Telangana is comparatively easier than in other states where the party is trying to make deep inroads.
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The BJP, after registering the bypoll win, are now focussing on the party’s growth in the state with renewed vigour. BJP is strategizing for the upcoming Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) polls, and has made a series of important appointments for the same. The party has appointed its national general secretary and Rajya Sabha MP Bhupendra Yadav, who handled the Bihar Assembly elections as its Telangana election in-charge for the upcoming municipal polls in Hyderabad. Karnataka Health Minister K Sudhakar, Maharashtra MLA Ashish Shelar and the party’s Gujarat secretary Pradipsinh Vaghela were appointed co-in-charges for the GHMC polls. The party is laying much importance upon the GHMC polls as they will set the tone for the Assembly elections in 2023, and will be an indicator of how sailing in Telangana can be for the BJP during the next three years.
Such developments from the saffron camp have definitely not been given a miss by the TRS and Chief Minister KCR. KCR is well aware that for little efforts that the BJP puts in, the results in Telangana come out disproportionately in their favour. It is for this precise reason that the TRS supremo is now making fast paces efforts to once again resuscitate the ‘federal front’ which previously could not even materialise. Whether this time round KCR’s efforts reap any results will be seen only in the coming days.
