In earlier years, we heard of something called barter system where we offer something to others and they give us something in return. It doesn’t involve money as legal tender. Now, something similar seems to be cooking up in Telangana. It starts with the latest strategy of TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu in the region.
After a gap of five years, suddenly Babu became active in 2018 when he allied with Congress for the first time, in Telangana and vowed to defeat TRS. But the entire alliance received a drubbing. After 2018, Babu has largely shied away from Telangana politics as TRS was unstoppable and even some of his key leaders like Ramana resigned from party chief post and switched to the TRS.
Now suddenly Babu has turned active in the Telangana region. One wonders why since his party may face an existential crisis in AP next year if it doesn’t turn strong enough to hit YSRCP. Well, there seems to be more than what meets the eye. Unable to turn BJP on his side which he has been trying desperately, now Babu seems to be silently reactivating at least some of his cadre.
This is mostly in the areas dominated by his caste, namely certain pockets of Khammam, Nizamabad, Greater Hyderabad and Nalgonda regions. The next polls in Telangana will be a tightly contested one between TRS, BJP and Congress and even 5000 votes can make a major difference in many constituencies.
This is enough to swing a victory and hence Babu seems to be rejuvenating whatever the cadre is left so that he can offer that to BJP in return for the saffron party’s support to fight Jagan in AP. This is the view of political analysts so far. However, Babu needs to understand that the last time TDP was in power in Telangana was during the early part of 2004 and never again did the party rule the region. The rural populace hasn’t forgotten massive power bill hikes and droughts marking his rule from 2001 and there may be no sympathy left for TDP, which has virtually lost its rank and file to the TRS. Whether his strategies can work out, only time will tell…
