M Somasekhar While allies TDP and BJP threaten to drift apart in Andhra Pradesh, the ruling TRS in neighbouring Telangana has been travelling the extra mile to offer issue-based support to the NDA government at the Centre.

Chief Minister and TRS President K Chandrasekhar Rao, who spewed vitriol against Narendra Modi and the BJP during and after the 2014 elections, has made shrewd moves to emerge a key supporter, especially after the demonetisation exercise of November 2016.

Despite the Budget doing little for Telangana, the TRS chose to go soft on the NDA government. This is in contrast to the TDP, which threw more ’tantrums’ than threats after Andhra Pradesh was ’neglected’. Political analysts KCR’s realpolitik is a reflection of the ground realities of Telangana.

"The Centre has neglected the State’s proposals like national status to the Kaleshwaram project, the establishment of a railway coach factory in Kazipet and a steel plant in Bayyaram, etc," said K Kavitha, KCR’s daughter and Nizamabad MP, when asked to comment on the Budget.

The youngest State of the Union was hardly mentioned in the Budget; the only indications were of a funding of a couple of hundred crores. Kavitha reportedly made it clear that TRS’ support would be crucial for any party to form the government at the Centre in 2019.

Cosying up to NDA

That KCR has gravitated towards Modi is evident not just from thepraises they have been heaping on each other, but also in his support for many NDA decisions: Ram Nath Kovind’s nomination for President; open support to demonetisation; GST; the proposal to hold simultaneous elections to States and Parliament.

In a calculated strategy, KCR began by supporting the policies of the Modi government, while taking on the politics of the BJP. This was amply evident after the visit of BJP chief Amit Shah in the summer of 2017. Within 24 hours of Shah levelling allegations against the TRS government in public meetings, KCR launched a blistering attack countering the claims. Simultaneously, he heaped full-some praise on Modi and some of his government’s policies. By doing so, he has effectively blunted any further attack from Shah, and increased his voice in national affairs as well.

KCR’s proactive moves and some reciprocation from Modi, as seen during the President’s election, have translated into a softening of the aggressive postures, criticism and threats of expansion by the Telangana BJP. Though the BJP State unit claims it will fight the TRS, Amit Shah’s eloquent silence points to the ripe possibility that the party could well join forces with the Telangana party in 2019.

The TRS chief seems to be working towards strategically isolating the Congress. KCR knows fully well that the Congress is unable to get its act together and is vulnerable. Under Uttam Kumar Reddy, and the recent entry of firebrand leader and bitter KCR critic Revanth Reddy, from the TDP, the Congress hopes to rejuvenate its cadre and trump the TRS, which it calls a family-run party and government.

In the last three-and-a-half years, the TDP has been virtually decimated, and most of the legislators have defected to the TRS. Interestingly, KCR, who was unsparing in his criticism of Andhra industrialists and leaders during the separate Telangana agitation and in the 2014 elections, has done a U-turn and tactfully started encouraging them to even invest. Even the ’settlers’ — as the TRS terms people of Andhra-origin — don’t seem to be a worried lot any more, going by the government’s attitude for the past two years.

Shot at dominance

The TRS has shunted the YSR Congress and the Left parties to the margins. In Hyderabad, where the ruling party is perceived to be weak, the TRS has already won the support of Asaduddin Owaisi’s MIM. More importantly, with its promise to hike reservation for economically-weak minorities, from 4 to 12 per cent, and pushing through a legislation in the Assembly, it can win the support of the minorities across the State.

All that KCR now requires is to have a friendly Centre and for the BJP to ensure support to his pet projects of ’Mission Kakatiya’, Mission Bhagiratha, his 2BHK housing scheme, and the myriad sops and incentives that he has up his sleeve to woo voters and retain power for another term.