Telugu Desam gears up to fight solitary battle in 2019

VIJAYAWADA: TD which won in 2014 with BJP and Jana Sena alliance is now all alone. Though TD is still in a live-in relationship with BJP led NDA, it is almost certain that it will break soon. Meanwhile, Jana Sena Chief Pawan Kalyan has made it clear that it would not support the TD in the 2019 elections. He had stated as much on the Jana Sena Formation Day, at the meeting. This has left the TD companionless. With this, the TD is now preparing itself psychologically for a solitary fight. An unperturbed TD minister said, “We have witnessed much crisis so far, along with the August crisis, and we don’t fear them as we have our own strategies in place.”

The four-year relationship between the TD and BJP may not last much longer. In the 2014 general elections, the trio of TD-BJP-Jana Sena had contested in alliance with one another. Though Jana Sena hadn’t contested, TD-BJP with seat shares contested in the 2014 general elections in the combined state. BJP contested in 8 of the 17 parliamentary seats in Telangana and 5 out of 25 seats in Seemandhra while the remaining were contested by the TD.

The saffron party had also contested 47 legislative constituencies in Telangana and 15 Assembly segments in Seemandhra but won two Lok Sabha and four Assembly segments. The coordination bet-ween the trio was fruitful for a while. The Ja-na Sena chief had also attended NDA allies meeting along with the Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, held on May 20, 2014. Later with Special Category Status to AP denied by the ruling BJP at the Centre, Mr Kalyan stepped aside. He also reacted strongly on issues like beef ban, Dravidian Cult-ure, and discrimination between Southern and Northern states.

Later Mr Kalyan commented on senior BJP leaders like Mr Venkaiah Naidu and on the BJP for denying Special Category Status to AP. Despite this, cordial relations between Jana Sena and the TD were maintained. Though there were times when Mr Kalyan commented sharply on the TD, with the state government reacting positively, the relationship continued smoothly for four years. But now the unexpected stance taken by Jana Sena of not supporting the TD in the 2019 elections, has quite stumped the ruling party in AP.

Meanwhile, the Jana Sena chief is in contact with Left parties and is holding discussions in terms of allying with them, it is reported. With Jana Sena opting out and with little chance of the Congress allying with the TD, it does appear as though TD will have to go for the 2019 elections on its own steam. Accordingly, the TD is readying its strategies, it has been learnt. The TD minister further expressed hope that the TD could gain public confidence by explaining and exposing the hidden agenda of the BJP and the erstwhile trio’s relations.

The TD’s main strategy is clear. Self-respect, the concerns of the Telugu people and special status are the points of the agenda that they are likely to take to the public first. “The TD will fight to protect state’s interests. Politics is always dynamic. The scenario may take a new turn, but still as of now the only possibility is to wait and observe.”