With Telangana Rashtra Samiti gearing up for a grand welcome to its president K Chandrashekhar Rao when he arrives “victorious” here from New Delhi, the race has truly begun among various political parties to claim the credit for the formation of Telangana State.
However, the timing of the formation of Telangana State still remains suspense as Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde has said that it may take another three months and the next elections will have to be held in a united Andhra Pradesh.
Telangana Congress leaders, who have taken a head start by splashing Hyderabad city and all the districts of the region with huge cutouts of Sonia Gandhi and hailing her as “Goddess”, were also organising their own rallies not only to give credit to their party but also to bask in the reflected glory. The party cadre was now awaiting the visit of Sonia Gandhi to the region sometime next month to drive home the political mileage.
Not to be left behind, the BJP was also trying to get some of the credit for the formation of Telangana by reminding people that without its support the Bill would have never been passed in Parliament. As a counter move against the Congress projecting Sonia Gandhi as the “Goddess” of Telangana, the BJP decided to organise a massive public meeting in Hyderabad on March 1 or 3 with Sushma Swaraj as the main speaker.
At the same time the BJP leadership also had the onerous task for striking a balance between Telangana and Seemandhra region. While it wants to claim the credit for Telangana State, it was also trying to portray itself as the champion of Seemandhra’s interest.
As part of this strategy, party’s senior leader M Venkaiah Naidu, who belongs to Andhra will campaign in Seemandhra region. On the other hand, several other leaders — including State president G Kishan Reddy, Bandaru Dattatreya and Chennamaneni Vidyasagar Rao — will be touring different parts of Telangana to mobilise the support for the party. The BJP has already started its block-level drive to highlight its role in formation of Telangana State.
In a smart move to galvanise its moribund cadre in Seemandhra, the party has revived the slogan of “10-year long special status for residual State of Andhra Pradesh”.
Venkaiah Naidu told the media in Hyderabad that if the BJP comes to power it will extend the period of special status to 10 years. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had announced in Parliament that the region will get a special status for five years. “Our demand was for 10 years”, Venkaiah Naidus said.
The TRS, which was under tremendous pressure from the Congress to merge itself, was planning to make February 26 welcome rally a big show.
Party MlA K Taraka Rama Rao said that after landing at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, KCR will fly in a chopper to Begumpet airport. “From there he will be taken in a big rally to Martyr’s memorial,” he said.
KCR, who had met Sonia Gandhi on Sunday along with his entire family, spent some time with Rahul Gandhi and Digvijay Singh on Monday to discuss the political situation and workout an amicable deal for elections.
While the Congress was keen for merger, KCR was under pressure from his own party to keep party’s identity alive. “We are ready to leave majority of 17 lok Sabha seats to the Congress in lieu of TRS’ supremacy in the State. We want to see KCR as the first Chief Minister of Telangana State,” said a senior TRS leader.