Will TDP gain the lost ground in Telangana?
HYDERABAD: After making a bold statement that the by-elections in six Assembly constituencies in the Telangana region would be the last elections for the Telangana Rashtra Samithi, Telugu Desam president N Chandrababu Naidu is all set to kickstart poll campaigning in the six constituencies spread over four districts on Saturday.
Naidu's previous tours of the region in the last few years were marred by violent protests from Telangana agitators. They pelted him with stones, hurled eggs on him, raised Jai Telangana slogans and even shouted 'Andhra Naidu go back' wherever he went.
His last interaction with Telangana people was in Warangal district where he addressed a public meeting as part of his Rytu Poru Bata. A Telangana activist, who hurled a shoe at him on the dais, was beaten black and blue by TDP workers.
The atmosphere today is not that much surcharged and Naidu is confident enough to repeatedly aver that the by-elections on March 18 would be the last elections for the TRS.
He even declared that the separatist party would forfeit its deposits in the 2014 general election.
Naidu allowed, and encouraged, Motkupalli Narasimhulu to abuse and heckle TRS chief K Chandrasekhara Rao with choicest epithets. Narasimhulu is on a 11-day padayatra from his residence at Begumpet and Telangana Martyrs Memorial near the State Legislative Assembly everyday.
In a demonstration that his opposition to the TRS should not be misconstrued as animosity to the people of Telangana, Naidu asked his party's Telangana leaders to collect money and provide Rs 50,000 solatium to the kin of each martyrs.
In spite of this gesture, whether people will accept Naidu as a leader favourably disposed towards them is doubtful. Now that the Telangana sentiment is not so strong, TDP leaders are expecting that the party will not face humiliating defeat this time unlike in the past.
News Posted: 10 March, 2012
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