Hyderabad: After the BJP emerged as the single largest party in Karnataka Assembly polls, speculation is rife that the Narendra Modi government would advance the Lok Sabha elections to November. Though the current Lok Sabha’s term expires in May 2019, experts believe that the BJP would like to time it with the Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, where the party is facing anti-incumbency.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, however, may not opt for advancing the Assembly elections in respective states to November. The Assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh (and Telangana after the division) have been held along with the Lok Sabha elections since 2004. Though Mr Naidu had supported the idea of simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and state assemblies floated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he is not keen on the advancing due to changed political scenario in the state, where the rival YSRC appears to be resurgent. Several prominent TD leaders are joining in YSR Congress.
While the TRS does not have desertion issue, Mr Chandrasekhar Rao had never said that he will hold Assembly elections along with the Lok Sabha elections if they are advanced. In Telangana, the ruling TRS is likely to face a tough fight the from Congress despite several welfare and development programmes launched by the state government. Both the Chief Mini-sters want to take advantage of advanced Lok Sabha elections to gauge their parties’ strength. The parties’ performance in the Lok Sabha elections would help understand where they are strong and where they are weak.
The term of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assemblies would expire in June 2019. For both the TRS and the TD, Assembly elections are far more important than the Lok Sabha elections. If the Lok Sabha elections are held in November, the TRS and the TD will have three to four months to set right the things and to prepare for the Assembly elections.
