The no-trust motion against Narendar Modi Government and its outcome has had an interesting effect on the State politics of Telangana. While the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) leaders were delighted by the loud and clear appreciation of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao by the Prime Minister Modi during the debate, it has badly deflated the State BJP leaders’ plans to take on the KCR regime.
Modi, while replying to the debate on no-trust motion, appreciated KCR for his focus on development of the State while comparing Chief Minister of neighbouring Andhra Pradesh Chandrababu Naidu’s confrontational attitude towards the Centre. Interestingly the no trust motion was moved by Naidu’s Telugu Desam Party, the former ally of the BJP and the TRS abstained from the voting on the motion sending a clear feelers that it was not averse to have a future relationship with the BJP.
“After the division of the two States Chief Minister KCR did a commendable job and pulled in resources on his own”, said Modi while praising KCR’s maturity and his focus on development.
It was nothing less than bolt out of the blue for the State BJP leaders who had recently started galvanising themselves for an intense campaign against the TRS Government in the run up to the 2019 polls. BJP national president Amit Shah’s recent visit to Hyderabad was seen as an attempt to put the party on an aggressive track.
But Friday’s development has left the State leadership and workers shell shocked.
“We are thoroughly confused about the approach of the central leadership. On one hand we were told to expose the TRS Government in the State and on the other the Chief Minister is praised from the highest level in the Parliament”, said a senior State leader not wishing to be named.
The TRS leaders on the hand went gaga over the latest certificate from the PM. During his earlier visit to the State also, the Prime Minister had appreciated various development programs of the State.
KCR’s son and senior State Minister K Taraka Rama Rao was happy with PM’s praise. “As far as development of the State is concerned, we have done much better than any other state and surpassed the expectations of the people of Telangana”.
“What the PM said reflects the ground reality in the state. During last four years the focus of KCR was purely on development and progress while maintaining good relations with the centre”, said TRS MP K Vieshweshwar Reddy.
It was an open secret that KCR was jockeying for a place in NDA and Modi Government for his party for quite sometime even while keeping the Muslim minority in the state in good humour. In fact the friendly relations between TRS and the MIM in Hyderabad was cause of much heart burn for the state BJP.
Now Modi’s praise and TRS walking out from lok Sabha before the vote on no confidence motion has in fact brightened a prospect of a future understanding between the TRS and the BJP, either pre poll or post poll.
Party sources said that any pre poll alliance with the BJP was not possible but the TRS was open to work with the BJP if it returns to power at the centre in future.
The TRS was also the wary of the ever increasing possibilities of state’s main opposition Congress joining hands with the TDP with two parties have a total vote share of more than 40% in the state.
“Even if they join hands they will lose the elections badly”, said KTR but the other TRS leaders agree that it can pose a serious challenge.
Meanwhile Congress leaders have started targeting the TRS as a “B” team of the BJP for its abstention from the vote on no-confidence motion. “This has exposed the nexus between the BJP and the TRS”, said State Congress leader N Uttam Kumar Reddy. “Chief Minister KCR is now proved to be an agent of Modi. Their secret friendship is out in open now”, he added.
He asked why the TRS did not question the Centre for not fulfilling the promises made to Telangana at the time of the bifurcation and also over its failure to increase the quota for the backward Muslims.