T issue hijack worries TRS

BY J.R.PRASAD

Hyderabad, Nov. 16: Leaders and activists in the Telangana Rastra Samiti are a worried lot as the party president, Mr K. Chandrasekhar Rao, goes on a bus yatra from November 22 from Kaghaznagar in north Telangana. They are as worried about achieving a separate Telangana state as they are about finding an issue for Mr Rao to speak on. With almost all major political parties announcing a pro-Telangana stand and hijacking their election platform, the TRS leaders are now trying to come up with a new poll issue.

The activists were planning to rake up the Telangana sentiment in the run-up to the 2009 elections. However, Mr Rao’s soft stand towards all political parties, including the ruling Congress, is confusing the TRS leaders. Mr Rao used to criticise the Congress and the TD during his earlier road shows. He did not even spare the BJP and the Left. Even in the byelections in the Telangana region, Mr Rao resorted to this trick.

However, the situation is not the same. Now, the TD has taken a pro-Telangana stance and even the CPI(M) announced that it would not come in the way of statehood for Telangana. With the newly launched Praja Rajyam also favouring a separate state, the "Pink Party" chief is leaning towards the TD, PR and the Left for a pre-poll alliance.

Interestingly, Mr Rao who worked hard to bring Opposition parties in the state onto one platform to dislodge the Congress regime in the state, has suddenly softened his stand towards the Congress so that it could have an alliance with the party in case it makes a positive announcement on statehood.

"As all the political parties in the state are singing the same tune on Telangana, the TRS which enjoyed a monopoly over this slogan has been compelled to search for a new slogan in order to muster the support of the people. Apart from that, our party president is inclined towards the Telugu Desam, the Praja Rajyam, the BJP and the Congress for a possible alliance. Whom will he criticise in the ensuing yatra to garner public support," a TRS leader asked on condition of anonymity.

Meanwhile, Mr Rao is confident about the prospects of the party in the ensuing general elections. "Now every other party including the TD is supporting the formation of Telangana state. This is the achievement of the TRS. Because of our persistent efforts, the long-cherished dream of Telangana people, is going to become a reality. Our effort will be our slogan," the TRS president told his party workers at a meeting in the Telangana Bhavan on Sunday.