KCR’s urgent meet put Telangana in early election mode 

The youngest state in the country is apparently gearing up for early elections with all the major players dropping enough indications that a fresh mandate will be sought along with four other States of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram and Chhattisgarh.

Giving credence to the early election talk in political corridors, K Chandrasekhar Rao, the chief minister of Telangana and the chief of Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) has called for an emergency meeting with his cabinet colleagues at his official residence Pragati Bhavan on Wednesday evening.

The message was that the Chief Minister will be discussing issues related with a selection of candidates, fixing the date and place for the release of progress card of the four-year governance of TRS and above all “current political situation” prevailing in the state and country. The Progress report public meeting has been postponed due to rains in the state.

Chief Minister’s decision to call for the meeting came at a time the Telangana police department also put itself in the election mode. While a training programme for the men and women of the police force is already going on at the Telangana Police Academy here, it has already prepared a list of Circle Inspectors who have been working at the same place from the past three years.

The Congress, on the other hand, has not only anticipated early elections but has declared yet another round of Bus Yatra and invited AICC chief Rahul Gandhi and Mrs Sonia Gandhi to the state to address the Yatra anywhere in the north Telangana districts. Coinciding with the ongoing preparations for early polls, the Telugu Desam Party’s Telangana wing has started looking for poll partners including its arch rival Congress.

Party national president Nara Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday reportedly discussed the issue of alliances in Telangana if the state goes for an early election. He said to have permitted the state unit to suggest a partner work with that can stop the BJP regaining power at the centre. Naidu’s TDP and its alliance party BJP garnered 22% votes in Telangana during the 2014 elections.

However, the recent bonhomie between the Congress and the regional party particularly during its fight for Special Category Status for Andhra Pradesh has further strengthened the alliance talk. The TDP has also planned three major public meetings in Telangana for the start, to mobilize its cadre.