A script for a national footprint, a Telangana hat-trick

Recently at the plenary session of Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) held in Hyderabad, when Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao made clear his intentions about expanding the party’s national footprint by going at the Bharatiya Janata Party’s “misgovernance” with the hammer and tongs, it was clear that he was from a script prepared by high-profile election strategist, Prashant Kishor. were glued.

‘A common agenda’

flew to Hyderabad after Mr. Kishore His attempt to proceed with advising the Indian National Congress party and even missed out on getting a role in it. Mr. Kishore was in conversation with Mr. Rao In two days more, a blueprint was drawn on how TRS could implement its “Go National” action plan. Mr. Rao’s claims in the plenary session were in line with Mr. Kishor’s strategy of the opposition on the BJP in the 2024 general election. As if hinted, Mr Rao, highlighting his national political ambitions, spoke of India needing an “alternative political agenda, and freeing the country from the religious hatred perpetrated by the BJP regime at the Centre”. He stressed on a common agenda for India and not so much “making someone prime minister” on the political front. What was needed was an agenda that included an integrated agricultural policy and re-orientation of the goals of sectors such as industry to meet the aspirations of the people. He said people are tired of BJP’s single point program of inciting religious sentiments across the country and wonder whether the United Progressive Alliance was better.

2023 plans unclear

These are familiar semantics that match Mr Kishor’s efforts to build alternative political structures across the country to fight the BJP. In recent interviews to the media, Mr Kishor, who left his Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) group, revealed his future political trajectory of being on the other side of the BJP camp, stating that the saffron party How has the basic principles of the Indian Constitution gone away? He suggested “rebuilding, restructuring and rebooting” national and regional parties to counter the BJP, putting an “alternative narrative” on the table, alluding to the belief that defeating the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections was in fact within the realm of possibility. In his view, it was not necessary to have a grand pre-poll alliance or project a particular leader as the prime ministerial candidate.

His I-PAC’s strategy to realize his pan-India dream for Mr. Kishor and the TRS may sound and appealing given the dramatic preview presented by Mr. Rao in the plenary, but his creation for the Telangana Assembly is yet to be discussed. Till now there is no clarity. Elections are to be held in 2023. TRS will seek a mandate for a third term from voters who are tired of governance and policies for more than eight years. Mr. Kishor has finished his assignment and is expected to wipe away the two-term burden of the anti-incumbency wave.

empty promises

Despite its tall claims, many of the promises made by the TRS remain unfulfilled. The opposition parties, the Congress and the BJP, argue that a handful of villages in Gajwel (Mr Rao’s assembly constituency), Siddipet (represented by Mr Rao’s nephew and Finance Minister T Harish Rao) and Sircilla (Mr Rao’s assembly constituency) for. Rao’s son, IT Minister, KT Rama Rao), there are no double bedroom houses built anywhere in Telangana. Under the program “Mission Bhagiratha” for supply of tap water, only 40% of the households are covered. The agriculture sector has been promised free power supply round the clock. There are plethora of problems in the 23 newly created districts. After failing to convince the central government to buy the entire stock of paddy from the state, the TRS government grandly announced that it would do it on its own, but finds it tough.

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The financial condition is also not good. The TRS government is spending more than its means on non-productive schemes and freebies and then approaching the Center for easing fiscal responsibility and budget management norms and allocation of more funds. Rythu Bandhu, the farmers’ investment support scheme, involves an annual expenditure of about ₹16,000 crore. Another new scheme, Dalit Bandhu, which provides assistance of ₹10 lakh to each beneficiary, is estimated to cost around ₹17,000 crore annually. Since the formation of Telangana in 2014, the TRS government has been heavily dependent on loans from various agencies, which have reached ₹2.41 lakh crore.

So will Mr Kishor’s magical strategy help TRS turn the tide and take a hat-trick? Sri Rama Rao has doubts. “People must understand [that] Kishor’s I-PAC is just to complement our efforts. If we don’t have public support, they can’t save us, PK [Prashant Kishor] Or no outsider can save the sinking ship….” It is widely believed that Mr Rao’s national effort is also to keep the top political seat in Telangana hot for Sri Rama Rao. Critics have criticized this fact. also points out that Mr. Rao, despite all his claims of being a seasoned political strategist, may have indicated to be on shaky ground. Hiring the services of I-PAC.

The I-PAC’s action plan for the TRS was called off amid massive confusion due to Mr. Kishor’s strategy of running with the rabbit and hunting with the hunter – in Delhi giving political advice to the Congress’ arch rival in Hyderabad. Attempting lateral entry into Congress, TRS. Among other inputs, he is believed to have suggested the Congress to go for an electoral alliance with the TRS. This created an uproar within the Telangana Congress, while the BJP watched with glee as both the parties plunged into chaos. Mr Kishor’s clearing of the air brought relief to the Congress and TRS camps.

Some benefits for BJP

Barring the appointment of a professional political strategist for the elections, the issue is how the TRS plans to take on a resurgent BJP in Telangana. The BJP has registered some resounding victories in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation elections and the by-elections to Dubak and Huzurabad assembly constituencies. But for the trivial, TRS doesn’t have much to offer. It has not come up with any concrete plan to stop the campaign of blatant hatred and polarization being run by the BJP in Telangana. BJP leaders are seen running away giving provocative speeches, the latest example being that of BJP MLA T. Raja Singh during the Ram Navami procession in Hyderabad. TRS’ unwritten understanding with All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) often comes in handy for BJP to question TRS’s moral right to speak and act against communal parties. Yet, with its vision on the national political space and attention-grabbing, the TRS still identifies the BJP as its main political rival.

Of. Venkateshwarlu is a senior journalist based in Hyderabad