‘Congress blundered by aligning with TDP’

• TDP a liability in Telangana, lacks legitimacy: BJP 
• P Muralidhar Rao says the Congress would understand its mistake after the results are announced

Hyderabad:Alleging that the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) lacks legitimacy in Telangana, a senior BJP leader said that the Congress has committed its biggest blunder by forging an alliance with Chandrababu Naidu's party. The BJP national general secretary P Muralidhar Rao said the Congress would understand its mistake after the results were announced and the party was likely to ditch the 'Mahakutami' or Grand Alliance to help TRS in forming the government.

 "TDP is a liability in Telangana and lacks legitimacy in the State. TDP is seen as a party headed by Chandrababu Naidu and people are seeing Naidu as an anti-Telangana leader who is becoming obstruction in the State development," Rao told PTI in an interview. He said any engagement with TDP would be a "liability" in Telangana and the Congress has committed its "biggest blunder".

 Voting for 119 seats of the Telangana Assembly will take place on December 7, while counting is scheduled for December 11. While, KCR's Telangana Rahstra Samiti (TRS) is fighting the polls alone in all seats, Congress is part of the Grand Alliance along with TDP, CPI and TJS. On the other side, the BJP has fielded candidates in 118 seats.

 Rao alleged that Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, during her recent rally in Telangana, was soft on the TRS and that "speaks volumes of her intention in future". "Congress spoke against JD(S) in Karnataka and it aligned with it and formed the government. So, why the Congress should not align with TRS? Congress, as a party, will compromise. 

There are some leaders in Congress who will get sold out," he said. Asserting that BJP is the only formidable alternative to the TRS in the State, he said, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a strong connect with people of Telangana, particularly farmers, youth and deprived classes, because of the welfare programmes he has undertaken in the last four and half years." Rao exuded confidence that the party's vote share in the State would increase by "leaps and bounds" from 7 per cent it got in 2014.

 "In Tripura, we had once one percentage of vote and were not having even one seat. We became a party in power. How many seats we have won in the past will not determine the present situation. What position you take now, that matters most," he said. When asked if BJP would consider supporting TRS in forming the government if KCR's party stops short of majority, Rao said, "No way. We will not align with TRS. We have not done so far.

 It is the TRS and Congress which are together. I feel the Congress will extend support as it does not want Modi to come in." In Telangana's rising poll heat, all major parties -- be it Congress, TRS or the BJP -- are accusing the others of being in league.