TRS gifted away Mahabubnagar to BJP
Hyderabad: The victory in Mahabubnagar by-poll is a surprise gift for the BJP from the people of South Telangana.
The BJP should thank K Chandrasekhara Rao (KCR), the chief of TRS for forcing it into a contest and unwittingly enabling it to win. But for the unilateral decision by the TRS to field its candidate, there would not have been the not-so-friendly contest in Mahaboobnagar.
KCR had announced his decision to contest and the name of the candidate at the same time without giving time for the Political JAC to broker a deal between its two constituents.
That KCR was keen on putting up a candidate in Mahabubnagar is a moot point. KCR may have his compulsions to send signals to the Congress high command that he is not with the BJP and also to the Muslims assuring them that he is with the minorities.
Had it not been a Muslim candidate on behalf of the TRS, the BJP would not have entered the fray.
Even if it fielded a candidate, he would not have fared this well against a Hindu candidate. Had the TRS obliged Srinivas Gowd, the leader of the Telangana Gazetted Officers Association, with a ticket, there would not have been a BJP candidate in the field.
The JAC would have successfully persuaded the BJP to support a common and independent candidate (Srinivas Gowd) even if he fights on a TRS ticket.
The leaders of the JAC had tried till the last minute to avoid a contest between the TRS and the BJP.
They discussed the issue with TRS leaders like Eetala Rajendra and Sravan on one hand and the BJP leaders like Laxminarayana and Ashok Kumar Yadav on the other. The talks proved futile and the contest became unavoidable.
It was BJP's luck to have got Yennam Srinivasa Reddy as its candidate. Reddy has been with the TRS right from its inception. He was president of Mahaboobnagar district unit of TRS till he developed differences with KCR and left the party to join the Congress under YS Rajasekhar Reddy.
Since the demise of YSR, Srinivasa Reddy has been keeping away from politics. When the BJP decided to field a candidate, the party's leader from Warangal Venugopal Reddy suggested the name of Srinivasa Reddy who is popular in Mahaboobnagar.
Dissident leaders of TRS like Bitta Balakrishna Reddy whole heartedly worked for the BJP candidate. Prominent among the sections that supported Srinivasa Reddy are Reddys and the Lambadas.
Kishan Reddy, has sensed the chances of a win and launched a high voltage campaign. He camped in the district headquarters for a fortnight and involved leaders from a number of districts from Telanagana. Nagorao, BJP leader, helped in getting the Lambada vote. The BJP has sent its star campaigner Hema Malini for a day.
The TRS candidate helped the BJP in achieving polarization among the Hindus to a considerable extent which helped Srinivasa Reddy to romp home.
The most important factor that has tilted the scales in favour of the BJP was the announcement by the Kodandaram that people in Mahaboobnagar constituency can vote according to the dictates of their conscience.
He had to make that announced because both the TRS and the BJP are constituents of the Political JAC.
When a contest between them could not be avoided, it was necessary for the JAC to maintain strict neutrality.
No State level leader of JAC went to Mahabubnagar to canvas support for the BJP candidate, but the local JAC leaders and the employees worked for him. By this single act, KCR had provoked the BJP into campaigning aggressively for Telangana in future.
The leaders and cadres of TRS, the Congress and the TDP now have a national party inviting them to join their ranks.
Since it is going to be the BJP, as leader of NDA which is likely to form the government in Delhi after 2014 elections, which decides on the fate of AP, the invitation would be tempting. KCR, an accomplished strategist , would, perhaps, rue his decision on Mahabubnagar.
News Posted: 22 March, 2012
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