KCR wants good ties with Centre, says Shah

Opposition must be desperate to unseat us, the minister feels

The BJP President Amit Shah told RSS party leaders that it was TS Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao who was maintaining cordial relations with Centre and not the other way round.

Mr Shah clarified this to TS BJP leaders who expressed apprehensions that the Centre appeared to have a soft corner for Mr Rao while they are fighting with the TRS in the state

According to sources, TS BJP leaders told Mr Shah that there were speculations that the TRS and the BJP had secret ties and the frequent meetings of Mr Rao with Prime Minister Narendra Modi were supporting these speculations.

The BJP leaders met Mr Shah at Shamshabad airport, where he had arrived on Thursday night enroute Mantrayalam for the RSS meeting on Friday.

According to sources, Mr Shah told the party leaders that “future requirements” could not be assessed especially after AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu had distanced himself from the BJP.

Mr Shah told TS BJP president K. Laxman, BJP Assembly floor leader G. Kishan Reddy, and former Union minister Bandaru Dattatreya: “We cannot see those who are maintaining cordial relations with the Centre as opponents. KCR is maintaining good relations with the Centre, one cannot see the state’s relations with the Centre from a political angle.”

Mr Shah told the BJP leaders that the Telangana Assembly elections could be held early.

“If KCR wants to dissolve the Assembly we cannot stop him. The Election Commission will take care of the elections issue if KCR dissolves the Assembly,” Mr Shah told the leaders.

IT minister K.T.Rama Rao on Friday said Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao had not taken any decision on dissolving the Assembly in September and going for elections in December along with Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and other states.

He ruled out the possibility of the TRS having an alliance with any party including the MIM for the ensuing elections and made it clear that the TRS would go it alone like it did in 2014 and emerged victorious.

During a media interaction at his camp office in Begumpet, Mr Rama Rao said the reports on early polls were speculation and he would not like to comment on speculations.

“Discussions are happening on many issues. There was a discussion on early elections. But, ultimately, no decision has been taken on that and will let you know when the decision is taken,” he said.

Referring to Opposition criticism on the issue, Mr Rama Rao said, “Typically the party in power will not lose or give up the time they can govern. Nobody wants to relinquish. Vice versa the Opposition, they should be desperate and try to unseat the incumbent as soon as possible. But in Telangana state it seems to be the opposite. Here the TRS says we are ready for an election and the Opposition seems to be asking questions about early polls. In a way it is funny.”

He lashed out at the NDA for not fulfilling the promises given to TS in the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014.