Telangana: Cong changes tune as BJP takes over

Wary of the BJP extracting political mileage out of the Telangana issue in the next Lok Sabha and assembly elections in politically crucial Andhra Pradesh, the Congress could rethink its strategy on the contentious statehood demand. Aurangzeb Naqshbandi reports.

Wary of the BJP extracting political mileage out of the Telangana issue in the next Lok Sabha and assembly elections in politically crucial Andhra Pradesh, the Congress could rethink its strategy on the contentious statehood demand.

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The Congress is in a dilemma ever since the Centre put on hold its December 9, 2009 announcement of initiating the process for creation of Telangana.

Ahead of assembly and Lok Sabha polls, the Congress leadership is worried that the BJP would make the formation of Telangana at the core of its campaign promises, a move that is bound to help the party gain substantially in the region.

The BJP’s aggression stems from the realisation of the electoral importance of Andhra Pradesh since the Congress was able to regain and retain the power at the Centre in 2004 and 2009 only because of its good show in the state.

The BJP is also buoyed by its by-poll win in Muslim-dominated Mahabubnagar.

The broader thinking in the Congress so far has been to delay a decision on Telangana as the party stands to lose in the region even if it announces a separate state but would gain in Andhra, Rayalseema regions.

But Congress managers were a worried lot on Monday as the BJP virtually took control over the ‘Sansad Yatra’, organised by the Telangana joint Action Committee in Delhi.

The Congress now refers to its stated position on smaller states. It also allowed five MPs from Telangana to sit on a 48-hour protest in Parliament.