KCR eyeing national role, now

It was a fight that was not to be. KCR’s comprehensive win in Telangana has conclusively established that the so-called close fight with the Congress was a figment of imagination of the national media.

Rather, the Congress joining hands with TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu may have jeopardised the prospects of the former; this is because in Telangana, Naidu is perceived as the person who was opposed to the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh. Incidentally, KCR followed the Telangana versus Andhra Pradesh script for much of the campaign, and with excellent results. To pose a formidable challenge to the TRS, the Congress and Naidu’s

CLEAN SWEEP

TDP had even pushed their simmering decade old differences under the carpet. How the outcome will impact the ‘grand alliance’ of the Opposition, of which Naidu is the anchor person, remains to be seen.

KCR's gambit of having the assembly dissolved eight months before schedule has also clicked. The state election was originally scheduled alongside Lok Sabha polls next year. ‘‘Nobody knows Telangana like KCR," remarked his daughter K Kavitha, a parliamentarian.

She also predicted a national role for her father, in the run up to the 2019 general election. ‘‘We will widen our canvas, tomorrow we will declare a national agenda as there is a need for a national alternative to both the BJP and the Congress," Kavitha said.

Asked whether that would mean her father focusing beyond the state, she said: "KCR will continue to be Chief Minister, but play a national role."

Another person who has a good reason to be happy is YSRCP chief Y S Jaganmohan Reddy in AP. He is happy that his arch-rival Naidu has failed miserably in Telangana. A victory for his alliance with the Congress would have made his job difficult in AP which is going to polls in April/May 2019.