KCR's game: Congress in, TDP out of stir

HYDERABAD: Telangana Rashtra Samiti chief K Chandrasekhar Rao seems to be following two strategies while trying to build political unity on Telangana: to encourage Congress leaders of the region to join the Sakala Janula Samme, and not to allow Telugu Desam leaders to gain an upper hand in the movement.

If any TDP leader wants to join the movement, he or she should become part of the TRS for a place in the movement as TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu is sticking to his 'two-eye' policy.

The Telangana Congress MPs' participation in the rail roko programme gave enough indication that they are ready to take the TRS chief's directions on the movement.

It was not long ago that Chandrasekhar Rao had strongly criticised Congress leaders and ministers and even made serious allegations against them.

Addressing an Employees Maha Dharna recently, the TRS chief described Telangana Congress leaders as 'chavatalu, daddammalu, naramleni sannasulu, etc' and went to the extent of remarking that that they were slavish and were polishing the shoes of chief minister N Kirankumar Reddy.

His son and MLA, KT Rama Rao, made a serious allegation against Congress MLAs that 13 of them had been bribed by the chief minister who was trying to dilute the movement and divide the Telangana Congress unity.

After stomaching all these insults, eight MPs took part in the rail roko on Saturday in their constituencies. Y Madhu Yashki Goud, Ponnam Prabhakar, S Rajaiah, Balram Naik, Gutta Sukhendar Reddy, K Rajagopal Reddy, G Vivekananda, and Manda Jagannatham took part in the protest. Two of them, Ponnam Prabhakar and S Rajaiah, were arrested and sent to judicial remand.

Apart from the MPs, several DCC presidents, and former ministers, MLAs, MLCs and local body representatives took part in the agitation without minding the TRS chief's ridicule.

Congress leaders have realised that only KCR's word prevails with the people of Telangana and that the TJAC has become an icon for Telangana movement forcing leaders of other political parties to follow their road map to take the movement forward.

A Congress leader admitted that their political future depended on the separate state movement, while a former minister pointed out that more than half of 55 Congress MLAs from the region took part in the TJAC-sponsored protest programmes in their respective constituencies.

'Chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy's reaction to KCR and Kodandaram is harsh and unjust. We are unable to support him as the actual situation in the districts is completely different. No one in Telangana is ready to believe us unless we join the people's protests,' said a Congress MLA.

During a meeting with the TRS and TJAC leaders on Saturday, the TRS chief reviewed the rail roko and other forms of agitation in the region and asserted that they would achieve political unity on the statehood issue in the near future.

While complimenting Congress MPs and MLAs who took part in the movement, he asked TJAC constituents to force Telangana ministers to resign.

A few ministers such as home minister P Sabita Indra Reddy and civil supplies minister D Sridar Babu are expected to participate in the movement.

TJAC leaders sense that people of Telangana are very angry against against the ministers from their region as reflected in the obstruction of minister Danam Nagendar's vehicle in the capital on Sunday.

If the Telangana ministers did not force their party high command to make an announcement on the statehood issue, it would be difficult for them to move even on the roads of Hyderabad, TJAC leaders have warned.