Ruling Telangana Rashtra Samiti was entering the New Year on a more confident note having further cemented its hold on the traditional citadels and expanding to new areas.
Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, with ample support and legwork by his three reliable lieutenants from within the family, son and state minister K Taraka Rama Rao, daughter and MP K Kavita and another minister and nephew T Harish Rao, has managed to overcome most of the challenges and almost decimated the entire opposition in the state.
KCR, who emerged more zestful and dynamic after the recent much talked about Ayutha Chandi Yagam at his farmhouse in Medak district, is now seen as an unchallenged leader of Telangana by leading the party to two remarkable electoral victories - Warangal lok Sabha by elections and on ten of the 12 legislative Council Seats from the local bodies elections.
Now as the TRS was gearing up for the biggest litmus test since coming to power in 2014, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) elections, political pundits were positive of party adding some more feathers in its cap. The TRS, in an indirect tie up with All India Majilis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) was likely to emerge victorious in the biggest and rich civic body of the state. The GHMC polls were likely to be held in January. This will mark further weakening of the opposition forces Congress on one hand and the BJP-TDP alliance on the other.
KCR’s “Operation Attraction” has considerably depleted the ranks of Congress and Telugu Desam in Telangana with several MlAs and other leaders of the two parties switching over to the TRS for the sake of their better and secure future.
In contrast to the last year, 2015 saw an unusual bonhomie between KCR and his friend-turned foe turned friend N Chandrababu Naidu, the Chief Minister of neighboring Andhra Pradesh.After the early turbulent phase in which the two Telugu states confronted each other on every possible issue ranging from sharing of water and power to division of the employees and assets, the two sides have realized the futility of the course and dramatically mended the fences in the last few months.
While the beginning of the year saw both the states threatening each other with the arrest of the other Chief Minister on the charges of bribe and the phone tapping, the tempers cooled down significantly. If Naidu took the initiative to personally invite KCR to the foundation stone laying ceremony of the new AP capital Amaravthy, KCR did likewise by inviting his counter part to the Chandi Yagam. By responding positively both the Chief Ministers opened new possibilities of cooperation and collaboration for the development and progress of the two states.
On the law and order, the threat of Maoists resuming their violent activities has increased during the year. Apart from occasional shootouts and at least two deaths in an encounter, people and the police have also reported the sighting of armed squads in Adilabad, Karimnagar, Warangal and Khammam. Outlawed CPI Maoist has also made its presence felt through threatening posters and abducting TRS leaders.
Despite winning two seats of legislative Council from the local bodies constituencies with impressive margins, the main opposition Congress party was still not out of the woods in Telangana. Though the party leaders like Jana Reddy and Uttam Kumar Reddy were talking tall there was little on the ground to suggest that the party was making a dramatic comeback anytime soon.
The TDP-BJP alliance, which came third in Warangal lok Sabha by election and was wiped out in legislative Council polls, was in complete confusion and there was a question mark on its future. A section of the BJP sees the alliance as a liability and the Telangana TDP was in the throes of faction war as no leader was ready to stand another. This led to Naidu’s outburst that even he can not help the TDP in Telangana because of the internal differences.
Though the wave of farmers’ suicide reflected the continuing grave agrarian crisis, the opposition could not make much out of it. On the other hand government was able to bring about a distinct improvement in the power supply situation, one of the worst droughts of the recent years hit the state this year adding to the woes of the farmers. In contrast the TRS has emerged as a stronger and more cohesive force, though around one person and one family. While KCR continues to be the stalwart, his son K Taraka Rama Rao’s emergence as the second most important figure in the party and government has caused some heart burn in the camp of Harish Rao, an equally hardworking leader of TRS.