Behind The Scene: BJP blackmails TRS

The Bharatiya Janata Party, which is desperately trying to retain its whatever little identity it has in the State by raking up the Telangana issue and entering into an alliance with the Telangana Rashtra Samithi, has suffered humiliation from TRS president K Chandrasekhara Rao who outrightly rejected its friendship.

Now, the BJP is blackmailing the TRS, so as to induce the latter into a pre-poll alliance. While adopting a resolution at its recent Bhopal meeting on Telangana State, the BJP leaders are planning to launch a massive campaing in support of smaller States for decentralisation of powers and for better administration. The party wants to target KCR for playing a political game and raking up profits from the movement, rather than working with the like-minded parties like the BJP. "KCR said that he would hug even a caterpillar for the cause of separate Telangana, but now he is shying away for a united fight with the BJP for a separate State for political gains," BJP national leader Bangaru Lakshman said.

BJP national president Rajnath Singh followed a carrot and stick policy. He gave an option to the TRS president. If the TRS does not want to be a part of the NDA, it can join hands with the BJP only till the Telangana is achieved. Will KCR take the bite?

Why is Sonia pampering AP leaders?

After a long time, AICC president Sonia Gandhi has given a wider representation to Andhra Pradesh in the latest AICC reshuffle. While retaining seniors like N Janardhan Reddy, G Venkatswamy and G Sanjeeva Reddy in the Congress Working Committee, the highest policy making body of the party, Sonia also included Rajahmundry MP Undavalli Arun Kumar as a CWC permanent invitee. Similarly, MLC P Sudhakar Reddy is retained as AICC secretary, while two others - Nizamabad MP Madhu Yashki Goud and Parvathipuram MP V Kishore Chandra Deo are included in the core team. Yaski Goud is said to be in the inner circle of Rahul Gandhi, while Kishore Chandra Deo also has good rapport with the Gandhi family.

The reasons for this 'special attachment' are not beyond comprehension. The Congress, which lost heavily in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, wants to retain its hold in Andhra Pradesh, which had sent 29 MPs to Parliament in 2004 elections, out of the Congress' overall tally of 145 in the country. AP contributed 1.49 crore votes to the Congress as against the overall vote count of 10.34 crore in the country in 2004 elections. And, if the Congress is able to hold on to its tally of seats in AP in the next Lok Sabha elections, whenever these are held, the chances are that UPA will retain power at the Centre.