Congress' promise of SCS to Andhra Pradesh gives TRS a weapon

Hyderabad: The Congress Working Committee passing a resolution on Sunday in favour of granting the Special Category Status (SCS) to Andhra Pradesh in case the party comes to power at the Centre in 2019 could change the political equations in the two Telugu states. This is believed to pave the way for a poll alliance between the Congress and the TD in both AP and Telangana.

The Congress supporting the no-confidence motion moved recently by the TD in Lok Sabha against the NDA government over the SCS issue gives indications that the tie-up between both parties may go to the next level in forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.

The TRS is devising a strategy to counter this alliance through extensive campaigns to tell the people that the industries in Hyderabad will move to AP and no fresh industrial investments will come to the state if AP gets SCS and the youth in Telangana state will not get jobs.

The special category status will be the main poll plank for 2019 elections for all parties except the BJP in Andhra Pradesh. While the YSRC has already been fighting for the SCS for the past four years and even made all its Lok Sabha members resign from the parliament, the TD has stepped up its agitation by moving a no-confidence motion against NDA government in Lok Sabha which was supported by Congress, TMC, the Left and a few other parties.

Pawan Kalyan-led Jana Sena is also pitching for the SCS for AP. The issue is expected to have serious impacts in Telangana too, with the TRS deciding to oppose it by tooth and nail. The party fears that if Congress and TD join hands over SCS issue, it may create waves in Hyderabad, undivided Ranga Reddy districts, undivided Nizamabad, Karimnagar, Nalgonda and Khammam districts which are home to a large number of people of Seemandhra origin.

The TRS on the other hand is trying to rake up 'Telangana Sentiment' again in case the TDP and the Congress join hands. In the 2014 elections, the TRS banked on Telangana sentiment. However, after the bifurcation of the state and being in power for four years, the TRS had no scope of using the card again. But thanks to the AP special status issue becoming the focal point and the TDP and the Congress getting closer, the TRS now has the opportunity to use the same as a weapon again, spreading fear that Telangana will lose industries and jobs to AP, if TDP-Congress combine come to power in 2019.