Karnataka CM says Telugu CMs had asked him to join hands with Congress

Hyderabad: Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy put both Telugu Chief Ministers in an embarrassing situation when he said recently that they had advised him to join hands with the Congress party in forming his government last month. 

In an interview Mr Kumaraswamy said, “Telangana CM K. Chandrasekhar Rao and Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu told me to join hands with Congress and advised me to form a secular government.”

Since the main opposition party in Telangana is Congress, and since the Telugu Desam in Andhra Pradesh was born in opposition to the Congress, neither Chief Minister would want in any way to be associated with the Congress party. 

In addition, Telangana Chief Minister who has proposed the formation of a new national Front wanted it to specifically exclude both the BJP and the Congress. 

Mr Rao has so far discussed the formation of new Front with pro-Congress parties of several states. 

This has created speculations that Mr Rao is forming the new Front to benefit BJP. All most all Opposition parties have charged Mr Rao that his Front is to benefit Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the coming elections. So far no TRS leader has reacted to Mr Kumaraswamy’s statement. 

It may be recalled that Mr Chandrashekar Rao had not attended the swearing-in ceremony of Mr Kumaraswamy in order to avoid sharing the dais with UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and AICC president Rahul Gandhi. He had travelled to Bengaluru a day previous to the ceremony to convey his good wishes personally to Mr Kumaraswamy.

Mr Naidu is equally embarrassed at Mr Kumaraswamy’s statement. There is speculation that the TD and Congress may have an alliance in the next elections, but some TD leaders are strongly opposed to this. 

TD MP Galla Jayadev reacted to Mr Kumaraswamy’s statement by saying “Mr Naidu did not advise Karnataka CM to join hands with the Congress.” 

But he also said that in politics there are no permanent friends or enemies. Mr Naidu has shared the dais with Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi and shook hands with Rahul Gandhi during the swearing in ceremony of Kumaraswamy in Bengaluru. 

Yet Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister K.E. Krishna Murthy strongly denies any talk of an alliance with the Congress and said if such an alliance materialises he will hang himself.