Four opposition parties have joined the Congress to form a Maha Kootami (Grand Alliance) to remove Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) from power in Telangana. Chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao’s daughter and TRS MP, Kalvakuntla Kavitha, spoke to Srinivasa Rao Apparasu about the united opposition challenge ahead of the December 7 elections. Edited excerpts:
How does the TRS plan to deal with the united opposition?
This pseudo unity among the opposition parties is nothing new. In the by-elections over the last four years, they fought together and lost miserably. This time also, the TRS, under the leadership of KCR, will win against all the opposition parties. We are confident of... winning 100 out of 119 assembly seats as people are extremely happy with the TRS.
Why have you raised such a hue and cry over the Telugu Desam Party (TDP)’s alliance with the Congress?
Why should not we? ...we have been telling our people about the political forces that have been working against Telangana’s interests. We have been telling them how Andhra politicians are constantly stalling its development. ...when Telangana is going in the right direction and emerging as the country’s number one state, what business does (TDP chief) Chandrababu Naidu have in Telangana? We want our people to know what is happening so that they would stand by us.
TDP is a political party which has a presence in Telangana. Does not it have the right to contest the elections?
{{/usCountry}}TDP is a political party which has a presence in Telangana. Does not it have the right to contest the elections?
{{/usCountry}}If TDP is a political party in Telangana, should it not work for the state’s interests? If you are constantly working against Telangana and writing letters to the Centre against the irrigation projects being implemented in this state, what right do you have to contest in Telangana? Naidu has stalled even bifurcation of the high court. We are not worried about Naidu or his party. We have to expose this alliance, which will in future also work against Telangana...
Do not you think harping on Telangana pride and Andhra domination will have a negative impact on TRS among Andhra voters?
I do not think so because in the last four years, TRS has never discriminated against people from Andhra. We have conveyed it to them not just in words, but in actions. We are confident of their support. If they do not understand it, well, this is democracy.