Telangana polls | Sensing trouble? Why KCR has resorted to regional party rhetoric

Pressing panic button, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has cautioned voters to "preserve the self-respect of Telangana in the face of threats" from national parties and leaders from neighbouring states. “It is an insult to lose election to these forces,” is his latest message to Telangana voters.

Addressing public meetings as part of the campaign for the November 30 assembly elections, KCR said leaders from neighbouring states such as YS Sharmila (Andhra Pradesh) DK Shiv Kumar (Deputy CM of Karnataka) and Yogi Adityanath (UP Chief Minister) were trying to defeat him in the elections. In the same vein, he portrayed national parties, Congress and BJP, as “enemies” of Telangana. He urged people to realise that “losing an election to these forces was an insult” to Telangana.

“The future belongs to regional parties. Modi’s BJP will not get a majority in the 2024 elections, necessitating a coalition government at the Centre. By winning majority both in the assembly and Lok Sabha elections, the BRS can play a critical role,” KCR assured the people during his Praja Ashirvada Sabhas at Warangal, Dammapet, Aswaraopet, Manugur, Adilabad and Boath.

For over a month, since he launched the campaign on October 15, KCR spoke vociferously about the implementation of schemes like old-age pension, Rythu Bandh, Dalit Bandhu, Kaleswaram Project, free power, roads, flyovers, etc. He used to warn the people that these schemes would be derailed if Congress was voted to power. However, the BRS chief has now strayed to play the victim card, stating that the region had fallen victim to the rule of the successive Congress regimes at the Centre followed by 10 years of Modi government’s “non-cooperation” after 2014.

Welfare narrative not enough

According to Prof M Kodandaram, president of Telangana Jana Samiti (TJS), KCR seems to have realised that the welfare narrative alone is not enough to counter the rising anti-incumbency across the state and the revival of Congress as a major political force.

“The re-emergence of the Opposition in the state has emboldened the people to talk about unfulfilled promises and failures of the government. Back to basics appears to be his response to this unfavourable scenario which KCR might have noticed during his campaign across the state,” Prof Kodandram said.

Between 2018 and now, Telangana politics has witnessed an immense transformation. In 2018, there was no challenger to KCR and he alone dominated the political horizon. Though Congress roped in TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu to campaign for the coalition during the assembly elections he was shouted down as an Andhra leader sneaking into Telangana through the backdoor.

BJP had no credible face in the state. But, in the past five years, Telangana politics has produced many regional and sub-regional leaders. While Congress was reinvigorated by the arrival of PCC president Revanth Reddy, BJP also produced firebrand leaders in the form of Bandi Sanjay, Eatala Rajender, M Raghunandan, and Dharmapuri Arvind. Similarly, former IPS officer RS Praveen Kumar of Bahujan Samaj Party has emerged as a staunch critic of KCR. Their campaign against KCR’s governance has certainly created pockets of resistance all across the state. Therefore, KCR has no option but to crush this sentiment by branding it as an attempt to defeat him by the national parties with the help of leaders from neighbouring states.

KCR facing the heat

JVC Sriram, a political strategist, opined that KCR is under siege and this has prompted him to play the Telangana card yet again.

“In south Telangana, Congress has emerged as a formidable force, while the BJP is in good stead in north Telangana. Don’t forget that the party had won 3 MPs from this sub-region. Since BRS has an informal tie-up with MIM, in many constituencies where Muslims are a dominating force, BJP’s consolidation is bound to take place. Congress, though weak, appears to be catching up in this area. In Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy districts, both Congress and BJP are expected to give a tough fight. BJP will benefit, though in a small measure by announcing BC chief minister and support to SC categorisation. This is quite an unexpected situation for the BRS,” Sriram told The Federal. He said this could be the reason for KCR’s redeployment of regionalism and regional pride.

On the other hand, noted political commentator Dr Pentapati Pullarao said KCR’s optimism about BRS' critical role in New Delhi after the 2024 elections was not without foundation. “If BRS wins the November 30 election, Congress will suffer a setback and BJP will be mellowed. KCR will emerge as the strongest regional leader with the potential to become a rallying point for the regional parties at the Centre. Probably, KCR might be indicating this perspective to the voters when he talked about the importance of regional parties and sought their votes,” he said.