All signs of an early Assembly poll in TS

If Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao’s political moves in the recent weeks are any indication, the state is headed for a pre-term poll, ahead of its actual term completion in mid-2019. It’s quite likely that KCR might make moves to call for polls in the second-half of 2018.

KCR-led TRS government couldn’t fulfil even a single promise that it has made in their party manifesto even after the mid-term of their tenure. Keeping in view the state’s dismal financial situation, it doesn’t seem likely that it will do any better even in the second-half.

State’s financial situation has worsened with unplanned expenditure, reckless fiscal management, popular dole outs, improper and massive borrowings.

CM KCR inherited a top-end revenue surplus state, which today stands as one of the highest debt-ridden states in the country with over Rs 1,50,000 crores in direct and indirect public debt.

There’s none KCR can blame but himself for the jeopardy this brand new state has been pushed into.

Add to the woes is his inability to raise any more funds through further borrowing due to fiscal regulations. CM KCR is clearly stuck between devil & the deep sea.

Steadily growing popular unrest and dissatisfaction is a major concern, as it will only compound as time passes for the TRS government. Except pension delivery, TRS government can’t factually claim anything else on the welfare front and literally nothing on the development front, too. The numbers speak for themselves, keeping political rhetoric aside.

KCR’s recent attempts at caste and sub-caste politics, sudden awakening to fulfil his personal vows to gods with public money after almost 3 years of Telangana statehood formation, 12% Muslim reservation rhetoric – all of it at the same time highlights that he is a man in hurry and realises that he has reached the incompetence peak already by mid-term.

From here on, it’s possibly all downhill.

KCR seems to strongly believe, and he can partially be accurate, that opposition parties in the state are very weak and subdued, and his popular image amongst the masses has still not fully eroded.

His plot seems to be to catch the opposition unprepared and draw them into an all-out attack with unmatched resources he and his party currently possess. A possible win as he seems to forecast can consolidate his power in the state for a long time and allow him a full & free play in the General Elections 2019.

Unleashing his plan, he possibly will go on a political appointment spree and fill hundreds of nominated positions for keeping his flock together. Especially, in the backdrop of a possible new political formation threat by Prof Kodandaram.

An imminent cabinet reshuffle, aggressive budget session, more popular dole outs, massive caste and religion appeasement politics, and publicity blitz will be at display in the weeks to come, if this analysis is any accurate.

It’s time for the opposition parties in Telangana state to get their act together and get ready for not the small battles but a full-scale war ahead.
(Writer is a BJP spokesperson,
an organisational strategist & an author)