Triangular tug of war over Telangana sentiments

Hyderabad: Once again Telangana is becoming the main issue in the upcoming Assembly elections. The ruling TRS, the main opposition the Congress, and the BJP are trying to take credit for the formation of the separate state of Telangana. 

AICC leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, who played a key role in the state bifurcation in the UPA government, reopened the issue on his recent visit to Hyderabad. After four and a half years of the formation of the state, the main political parties are still playing on the Telangana sentiment to get political mileage in the coming assembly elections.

AICC leader Azad reignited the Telangana issue by alleging that the TRS had no role in the formation of the Telangana state and this credit went to the Congress only. He said that they had not even discussed the issue with TRS Chief K Chandrasekhar Rao. He said the separate state was formed due to the struggle of Telangana Congress MPs and the overconfidence of Seemandhra MPs. 

In a strong counter to Mr Azad, TRS MP G. Vinod Kumar accused him of twisting historical facts and challenged him to a debate on the issue. He said, “Let the facts of the separate statehood movement be placed before people of Telangana.” 

He said that the Congress was forced to deliver the Telangana state due to the efforts of the TRS which convinced 32 political parties to support the bifurcation of AP. AICC Secretary and former MP, Madhu Yashki Goud, also challenged the TRS to an open debate on the Congress role in the formation of the Telangana state.

Meanwhile, the BJP also entered the debate and said that it had raised the separate Telangana issue earlier and also passed a resolution in its party meeting held in Kakinada. BJP MP and former Union minister Bandaru Datta-treya, condemning Mr Azad’s claim said Telangana people had rejected the Congress in the 2014 elections because it had delayed the creation of a separate state. TRS minister T. Harish Rao said had it not been for the fast unto death undertaken by KCR, the Congress would not have yielded to pressure.

The TPCC wants to make Telangana the main political issue. The Congress plans to highlight UPA chief Sonia Gandhi, respecting the sentiments of TS people, granted separate statehood and after the formation of the separate state, KCR was utilising the chance for the benefit of his family.