LS polls: Major parties draw battle lines in Telangana

With Bharatiya Janata Party chief Amit Shah and ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi working president K T Rama Rao addressing cadres and giving clear directions on what they expect from them, the state seems to be all set for the ensuing Parliament elections.

The Congress, which has finally shrugged off the defeat it tasted at the hands of TRS in the assembly elections, is also busy filtering the probable candidates.

The TRS in its first poll related meeting in Karimnagar made it clear that the country needs the leadership of its founder President K Chandrasekhar Rao. “Sir (KCR) plus car (TRS poll symbol) means Delhi sarkar” seems to be the war cry for the ensuing elections. “Country will greatly benefit with KCR, an experienced leader, in the saddle. What we have to do is to get him 16 seats out of 17 and let him play a crucial role,” KTR told cadres.

TRS hopes that its 16 MPs and another 65 to 70 from like-minded parties of the proposed Federal Front, will place its leader in a formidable position. KCR also made way for his son KTR as party working president so that he can play a wider role at the Centre. “PM Modi failed to keep the promises he made to the nation in the past five years. The downward trend in recent assembly elections in different states proves that point,” KTR said.

"Nation needs Modi"

On the other hand, Amit Shah in Nizamabad argued that the country needs Narendra Modi once again. Speaking with the booth-level functionaries from five Lok Sabha constituencies - Adilabad, Karimnagar, Nizamabad, Zaheerabad and Medak - he said the “Mahagathbandhan has neither a neta nor neeti”. He expects a bigger victory for BJP compared to that of 2014. He said BJP government reminded everyone that India is the only country in the world after USA and Israel that has the capability of surgical strikes across the border.

The Telangana Congress is busy preparing a list of probables for Delhi's nod. Congress leaders feel that with 32.32 % vote share in the 2018 Assembly polls, things look good in the Lok Sabha elections. However, the party which is plagued by desertions to TRS, has to secure its flock first.