Political heat intensifies in TS

Hyderabad: Political heat is intensifying in Telangana well ahead of the announcement of schedule for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.While TRS working president KT Rama Rao has embarked on his political tour and sounded the poll bugle at Karimnagar on behalf of the party on Wednesday, TRS chief K Chandrashekhar Rao is busy finalising candidates in consultation with leaders of the party who oversee various parliamentary constituencies.  

 The TPCC president N Uttam Kumar Reddy has summoned all leaders of the party in charge of Assembly and Lok Sabha constituencies.  They would be asked to take up campaigns at the local level and hold preparatory meetings so that the party is battle-ready by the time AICC president Rahul Gandhi visits the state – scheduled for the second week of March. The party is also making all-out efforts to bring Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to address some meetings in the state.

A senior leader said that the election will be a ‘do or die’ act for Uttam. If he fails to achieve the desired results, the Congress high command will alter the TPCC leadership. The Congress had won three MP seats in the previous elections -- from Nalgonda and Nagarkurnool.  However, Nalgonda MP G Sukhendar Reddy joined TRS in 2016. The formidable challenge before Uttam is to identify the winning horses and give tough competition to the ruling TRS. 

The state unit of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has instructed its leaders to make arrangements for poll campaign by its national leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP national president Amit Shah. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh will also come to Telangana on a whirlwind tour. 

Telangana BJP unit president K Laxman is struggling to consolidate the party and win sizeable number of MP seats. In the 2014 elections, the BJP had won a lone MP seat –Secunderabad.  The TDP Telangana unit, which is likely to go it alone in the forthcoming elections, is also moving fast. Notwithstanding the crisis facing the party leadership from village to state level, with many of its leaders switching loyalties to the ruling TRS, state party president L Ramana has shortlisted the names of the candidates. 

The party is keen to fight from Khammam, Nalgonda, Nizamabad and Warangal Lok Sabha segments, where it still has cadre with perceived people’ support. The TDP won the Malkajigiri seat and YSR Congress secured the Khammam Lok Sabha seats. The two MPs, Malla Reddy and P Srinivas Reddy respectively, also shifted loyalties to KCR.   

The fledgling Telangana Jana Samithi, headed by Prof M Kodandaram and left parties – Communist Party of India and Communist Party of India-Marxist -- are holding consultations for pre-poll alliance to fight jointly.