TRS lean towards BJP led NDA
New Delhi: Initiating a new chapter in political realignment down south, Telangana Rashtra Samithi is all set to join the Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA government very soon, if the developments in the national capital in the last few days are any indication.
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, who has been in New Delhi for the last two days, had a one-on-one meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday evening and is reported to have discussed the possibilities of the TRS joining the NDA conglomerate soon.
Political observers did not miss the significance of KCR coming to bless the newly married couple at the wedding reception of BJP chief Amit Shah's son Jai.
And the TRS chief followed it up with a meeting with Modi on Monday to discuss a basket of issues. However, top sources said the possibility of political alliance was on the top of the agenda. The BJP and the TRS have come a long way from the bitter political divide of mid-2014.
The increasing bonhomie is now likely to end in a political alliance which may come as a surprise to many. The two stumbling blocks for this possible alliance between the TRS and the BJP are: one, Telugu Desam Party, one of the major partners of the NDA and the two, BJP's Telangana unit which has been fighting the TRS in the fledgling State.
While the TDP is wary of having the TRS as a partner due to conflicting political interests, the BJP state unit would find its expansion plans extremely challenging if the TRS becomes an NDA partner. However, the BJP top leadership is likely to work out a way to convince both.
It is important to note that the Central BJP leadership has been less than happy with the state leadership unit for quite some time. Sources indicated that if the talks between KCR and Modi were any indication, the TRS could join the union government formally in the beginning of April.
The Prime Minister is expected to go in for a mini-expansion of his Cabinet and if all goes as per plan, the TRS may find its representative in it.
The Shiv Sena is also waiting for its second member in the Central cabinet as per the understanding worked out at the time of the Sena joining the Devendra Fadnavis government in Maharashtra.
A perceived softness towards the Central government has been visible in KCR's attitude ever since he came out in support of the Prime Minister's Swachh Bharat Mission.
Likewise, a cordial relationship was also visible between the two parties in the last Parliament session with TRS MP A P Jitender Reddy playing an interesting pro-Modi government role.
The Telangana Chief Minister invited Narendra Modi for the inaugural function of Mission Kakatiya, a Rs 20,000 crore project to rebuild and develop the tanks and ponds of Telangana for better irrigation.
KCR has also sought fifty per cent financial assistance from the centre for the project. The other issues on the agenda included early bifurcation of High Court, national status to Pranahita-Chevella project financial assistance for Godavari Pushkaralu, new transmission line to Dichpally via Wardha besides other pending issues related to the bifurcation.
News Posted: 17 February, 2015
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