The December 7 polls to the Telangana assembly will be an acid test for chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, who rode to power in 2014 as the lone champion of the Telangana cause.
Since then, KCR -- as the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) supremo is popularly known – has dominated the political arena. Though the TRS got a wafer-thin majority in 2014 with just 63 of 119 assembly seats, he managed to engineer defections from opposition parties and increase its strength to 90.
KCR implemented his agenda of rebuilding a new Telangana and started schemes in the irrigation, agriculture, education and infrastructure sectors. He surprised everybody by dissolving the assembly on September 6, almost nine months before its term ends. He blamed the dissolution on the opposition parties making corruption allegations against his government.
Though almost absent for the last four years, the Congress appears to have resurrected itself in the past year by holding rallies against the government. But it cannot take on KCR alone. So, it has mooted a grand alliance with other opposition parties. As of now, the Telugu Desam Party, the CPI and the Telangana Jana Samithi (TJS) have signed up.
The BJP is facing an identity crisis, besides the suspicion of having a secret understanding with the TRS. Similarly, the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen is confined to the old city and has a friendly relationship with the TRS.
{{/usCountry}}The BJP is facing an identity crisis, besides the suspicion of having a secret understanding with the TRS. Similarly, the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen is confined to the old city and has a friendly relationship with the TRS.
{{/usCountry}}Political columnist and author Sriram Karri said it is going to be KCR on one side and the entire opposition on the other.
Development
The TRS is banking on several social schemes and irrigation projects to return to power, including money before sowing of crops called Rythu Bima, Kalyan Lakshmi, Shadi Mubarak. The opposition has accused him of failure to fulfil the promises.
Unemployment
The opposition has claimed that the KCR?regime has failed to provide jobs to youth. KCR has countered this saying infrastructure development has created thousands of jobs.
Land reform
The TRS government had started a programme to provide three acres to three lakh landless Dalit families. But land has been provided to about 5,000 families only. The opposition says the scheme is a failure but the government claims it is a work in progress.
Main players
The only star campaigner for the TRS, KCR draws crowds with speeches attacking the opposition in Telangana slang.
Pradesh Congress Committee president, N Uttam Kumar Reddy, who is leading the opposition campaign is not a great orator but makes his point effectively .
PCC working president, A Revanth Reddy, who is a powerful speaker, has been tearing into KCR and his family, exposing alleged corruption.
TJS head M Kodandaram former Telangana Joint Action Committee chairman who spearheaded the movement for a separate Telangana. He has a following among students, unemployed youth and farmers.