Parties vie to emerge as alternative to TRS in Telangana ahead of assembly elections

At least half a dozen parties, including the two major national parties — the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party — have already plunged into action to campaign against the TRS government in Telangana led by chief minister (CM) K Chandrasekhar Rao for the assembly elections

The race to the assembly elections — due in about a year-and-a-half — in Telangana seems to have already heated up with several political parties vying with one another to emerge as a potential alternative to the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS).

The race to the Telangana assembly elections seems to have already heated up with several political parties vying with one another to emerge as a potential alternative to the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS). (HT Photo)

At least half a dozen parties, including the two major national parties — the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party — have already plunged into action to campaign against the TRS government led by chief minister (CM) K Chandrasekhar Rao, hoping to cash in on what they see as an anti-incumbency atmosphere in the state.

The new regional outfit YSR Telangana Party — headed by Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy’s sister Y S Sharmila — is also trying hard to attract the public imagination.

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), which failed to make any impact in the recently-held Uttar Pradesh elections, has also forayed into Telangana politics hoping to tap into the Dalit vote bank.

The Telangana Jana Samithi headed by retired Osmania University professor M Kodandaram, who spearheaded the movement for separate Telangana statehood before 2014 as the chairman of Telangana joint action committee, is also trying his luck to cash in on the anti-establishment vote.

The latest in the series of entrants is Aam Admi Party (AAP) headed by Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal. After conquering Punjab in the recent elections, AAP hopes to get a footing in Telangana by starting an aggressive campaign against the TRS government soon.

Padayatra: The common link

Interestingly, many of the leaders of these opposition parties have chosen the time-tested formula of undertaking padayatra (foot march) to get closer to the people and win their confidence before the next elections.

BJP state president Bandi Sanjay took up the first phase of his padayatra in the name of “Praja Sangrama Yatra” from August 24 to October 2, covering nine districts and 19 assembly segments under nine Lok Sabha constituencies. The padayatra culminated at Huzurabad in Karimnagar district.

“The impact of the padayatra was reflected in the BJP’s victory in the Huzurabad assembly seat by-election as the people believed our party is the only alternative to the TRS,” said Sanjay, who is going to kick start the second phase of padayatra from April 14, coinciding with Dr B R Ambedkar’s birthday to up the ante against the TRS government.

On the other hand, Congress Legislature Party leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka has also been extensively touring parts of Telangana from February 27 to attract the voters. Except for the short break during the Telangana assembly budget session, between March 7 and 15, and again on April 4 to attend the meeting with Rahul Gandhi in Delhi, he has been on foot, touring assembly constituencies in Khammam and Kothagudem districts.

YSR Telangana Party president Y S Sharmila resumed her padayatra across the length and breadth of Telangana on March 1, after a gap of four months. She initially began her walkathon on October 20, but had to suspend it on March 10 due to the model code of conduct for the MLC elections under local body quota, followed by third Covid-19 wave. Sharmila has been focussing on youth, women and farmers, promising to bring back the “golden era” of her father late Y S Rajasekhar Reddy, the former chief minister of combined Andhra Pradesh, between 2004 and 2009.

Leaving a footprint in south

Indian Police Service (IPS) officer R S Praveen Kumar, who had taken voluntary retirement from the service and joined the BSP as its Telangana unit convener, has also been on his marathon padayatra all over the state in the name of “Bahujan Rajyadhikara Yatra,” from March 6, aimed at achieving political power for Dalits and Bahujans. He has been getting good responses from the crowds, said officials privy to the development.

Interestingly, AAP also announced that it would soon begin the padayatra in Telangana as part of its plans to have a footprint in the southern state. AAP leader Somnath Bharti, who has been appointed in-charge of Telangana affairs, toured parts of Telangana in March last week.

“Telangana is in need of an efficient administration like Arvind Kejriwal. We will strive hard to promote the Kejriwal model of governance in Telangana. It is unfortunate that even after eight years of its formation, the state is witnessing starvation deaths, suicide of farmers and youth,” Bharti said at a meeting in Warangal on March 27.

Observing the developments silently, the TRS leadership is focussing on preventing the growth of the BJP, which is emerging as a potential threat to the ruling party.

“The BJP has been adopting anti-people policies at the Centre and in Telangana, it has no moral right to talk about the TRS government. Very soon, the BJP will be putting up a ‘To-Let’ board at its office,” said TRS legislator and spokesman A Jeevan Reddy.

Political analyst Rama Krishna Sangem said that the new parties can’t expect to come to power, but may make or break the fortunes of major players like the TRS, BJP and Congress in some constituencies.

“Wherever there are strong winning candidates, these parties won’t make much impact. But if the contest is keen between the TRS and others, these smaller players will split the anti-incumbency vote, and that will help the TRS,” Sangem said.