TRS on a high after PM Modi’s praise

Hyderabad: The mood is upbeat in TRS camp after Prime Minister Narendra Modi showered praise on TS government’s development agenda during the debate on no-confidence motion in Parliament on Friday. 

Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao and his Cabinet colleagues have been saying all along that government’s flagship schemes, new initiatives and projects like Mission Kakatiya, Mission Bhagiratha, Kaleshwaram project, Rythu Bandhu, etc, were getting national recognition and fame and PM’s endorsement has buoyed the spirits of the party cadre. 

PM said that KCR-led TRS government was showing maturity by focusing all its energies on the progress of the state. According to TRS leaders, Modi rarely heaps praise on parties and politicians outside the NDA alliance, but Friday's statement was an exception and unexpected.

Meanwhile, this praise has not gone unnoticed as political pundits are trying to link Modi's fresh praise with recent state visit of BJP national president Amit Shah, who did not criticise or target the TRS government in Telangana, much to the surprise of rank and file of the saffron party that was eagerly waiting for his visit to boost the morale of the BJP cadre.    

Is BJP national leadership keen on maintaining good relations with the TRS in Telangana with an eye on general election and possibilities thereafter?

TRS functionaries pointed out to one common thing between the TRS and BJP-led NDA at the Centre. Their main obstruction for a consecutive second term at office is the Congress. “BJP at the Centre is fighting the Congress so does the TRS in Telangana. Primary objective for both the parties is to overcome the Congress hurdle. 

Also, the TRS would ideally want the BJP to be in electoral fray along with the Congress making it a three-cornered fight. Anti-incumbency vote, if any, would be split between the Congress and BJP which might benefit TRS candidates eventually," a senior leader, who did not wish to be quoted, said.

Possible hung scenario after the 2019 elections could be one of the reasons why the BJP national leadership is not showing interest in ruffling feathers of the TRS. If the NDA falls short of absolute majority, it has to bank on regional parties like TRS and AIADMK and hence the soft attitude as of now, predict political analysts.

However, state BJP leaders are unfazed over Modi eulogizing KCR or Amit Shah's silent visit to the state. “Alliance with the TRS is ruled out because of bad experience in 2014 elections. Electoral tie-up with the TDP affected the party badly in all districts weakening its base. If such a mistake is committed again in 2019 with an alliance with the TRS, the BJP would be rooted out completely. 

So state and central leadership would not let this happen. As far as post-poll alliance, it is premature to predict possibilities and anything can happen at that time. Also, if the NDA gets majority on its own, there is no need to get other regional parties on board," a BJP leader said.