Parties wary of KCR bypoll plan

The political strategy adopted by the TRS has both the Congress and Telugu Desam legislators, differing over the issue of submitting their resignations to the Assembly Speaker. Party legislators from the Congress and the Telugu Desam are blaming each other for the resignation issue, but they have realised, that the TRS chief, Mr K. Chandrasekhar Rao, is only trying to usher in bypolls for the region. If he does realise his plan, he may have the upper hand and secure his party maximum seats in the election by riding on the Telangana wave.

Mr Chandrasekhar Rao had openly offered those who wish to resign a chance to be re-elected, but there are no takers for this offer. It is well known, that if MLAs from the Congress and TD resign to force bypolls, both the parties cannot field the same persons in the elections, for party indiscipline. Even assuming that the party will issue them tickets again, the TRS will try to field its own nominee and ask the people to defeat the main parties, since they are not in favour of a separate Telangana state.

In such a case the “resigned” MLAs have either to contest the elections as independents or as TRS nominees. In such a situation they will be at the mercy of Mr Chandrasekhar Rao. The TRS chief also made it clear that both the parties should announce a favourable stand on Telangana. At the same time he has been sending hints to MLAs to resign and join in the TRS and get re-elected. The Banswada bypolls were necessitated due to similar politics. Talking to this newspaper, the Telangana TD Legislators Forum Convenor, Mr Erraballi Dayakara Rao, has admitted, “We know Mr Chandrasekhar Rao’s gameplan. He wants us to leave the party and our leader Mr Naidu. How is it possible? Why should we leave the party?”

However, he said, “The TD MLAs are ready to quit along with the Congress counterparts to create a crisis, but not for bypolls. The Congress MLAs, who are caught between the Congress central leadership and the pressure tactics of the TRS, are now thinking about submitting their resignation. They have received hints from party that resignations will not be accepted at any cost.