KCR realigns BRS yet again

HYDERABAD: Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has sprung yet another surprise by projecting a drastic change in his party’s approach towards the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre, leaving room for the principal Opposition Congress to accuse him of buying peace with the saffron party.

In swift political developments, Chandrashekar Rao almost did an “astra sanyas” against Modi, whom he described as a good friend besides revealing his constant exchange of ideas on good governance practices with the Prime Minister. In a follow-up, IT minister K.T. Rama Rao rushed to the national capital with a wish list and lined up meetings with Central ministers.

On political front, Chandrashekar Rao decided to send his trusted lieutenant and former MP B. Vinod Kumar to the all-party meeting on Manipur to be held by Amit Shah at New Delhi on Saturday.

While Rama Rao rejected outright that there was any change in the BRS stand against the BJP, Congress Telangana in-charge Manikrao Thakre saw in Chandrashekar Rao’s moves a desperate attempt to save his daughter K. Kavitha in the Delhi liquor scam.

“Our prediction that the BRS and the BJP will join hands has come true. The Enforcement Directorate summoned her (Kavitha) but won’t arrest her. There will be a poll pact between the BRS and the BJP,” Thakre told mediapersons in New Delhi. He also questioned Rama Rao’s rushing to Delhi at a time all Opposition parties were holding a crucial meeting in Patna to take on the BJP.

The Congress is also confident that it would have the last laugh as a BRS-BJP pact, even if it is indirect, would result in a bipolar contest between the BRS and the Congress. This would avoid a split in the anti-incumbency vote and more importantly help in the consolidation of minority vote which is decisive in several Assembly seats.

Chandrashekar Rao’s sudden moves on the other hand put state BJP chief Bandi Sanjay Kumar in utter confusion as was evident from his Thursday’s assertion that the Chief Minister had hatched a conspiracy to bring down the BJP graph in Telangana by sending Rama Rao to meet Amit Shah.

When questions were raised on whether Shah was a co-conspirator to this scheme for agreeing to meet Rama Rao, the state BJP chief altered his opinion on Friday and dismissed the Delhi meetings as routine. He maintained that no political inferences should be drawn as Central ministers would meet representatives from all states.

Meanwhile, sources in the BRS who did not rule out a change in the approach towards the BJP exuded confidence that Chandrashekar Rao, an astute political strategist, would take the bold step if need be and convince people on his intent.

Amidst rumours that crucial developments in the liquor scam, mainly, the prime accused turning approver, would spell trouble for Kavitha, sources said that if the change in approach helped resolve issues, it was justified. “Telangana voters’ perception won’t change even if the Congress claims a tacit understanding between us,” sources said.