After defections from TRS, Cong hopes for win
NEW DELHI: Buoyed by recent defections from the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and a positive internal assessment about its prospects, the Congress is confident of upsetting the ruling party’s apple cart in Telangana in the December 7 assembly elections.
On Saturday, former TRS lawmakers T Narsa Reddy and S Ramulu Naik joined the Congress, followed by TRS Rajya Sabha member D Srinivas.
The Congress is also trying to induct (OBC) Other Backward Classes leader and former Telugu Desam Party (TDP) legislator R Krishnaiah into the party.
According to its internal assessment, the Congress has regained “significant” ground across the state since chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) dissolved the Telangana assembly on September 6 for early polls.
“The primary reason for that is TRS’s declining popularity due to the arrogance of the ruling party’s first (KCR) family. We have recovered in most of the constituencies and you will see surprising results on December 12,” said a Telangana Congress functionary. He said the party is constantly updating its assessment after getting regular feedback from the ground.
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People are feeling cheated and deceived because TRS has failed to fulfil the promises it made in 2014
NARASIMHA RAO , Political analyst
Congress leader M Shashidhar Reddy said his party has also gained ground due to its “successful and vigorous” campaigning.
“We are going to the voters telling them that TRS has aligned with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and a vote for KCR will, in fact, be a vote for the BJP.”
Reddy added that KCR had dissolved the assembly six months ahead of the schedule as per a “game plan”.
He said that the Congress has succeeded in “derailing” that strategy.
The Congress is also upbeat over the progress in the talks over the proposed grand alliance in Telangana. It has agreed to contest 90 out of the 119 seats. The Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Telangana Jana Samithi (TJS) and the Communist Party of India (CPI) will get the remaining 29 seats.
“No senior or serious leader, with a mass base, is leaving the TRS. In any case, it is going to be a landslide victory for us,” said TRS Lok Sabha member Boianapalli Vinod Kumar. He said the Congress was unable to face the TRS alone and has hence joined hands with the TDP.
Political analyst C Narasimha Rao said that it is not the case of Congress gaining ground, but TRS’s losing its popularity.
“People are feeling cheated and deceived because TRS has failed to fulfill the promises it made in 2014. They want to teach KCR and TRS a lesson.” It would have been a cakewalk for TRS until some weeks ago, but now some of its legislators and ministers are facing some “anxious moments”, said Rao.