Hyderabad: The Congress and the Telugu Desam are staring at the same situation in the two Telugu states after the Assembly elections. The Congress in AP and the Telugu Desam in Telangana state have almost disappeared from the political scene.
Defections have emptied the party rank and file after their disastrous performance in the Assembly elections. In AP, the Congress was not able to open its account for the second time after 2014.
In Telangana state, the Telugu Desam is in a similar plight. In 2014 and 2018, the TD won some Assembly seats but was not able to retain the legislators. In the recent Lok Sabha elections, the Telugu Desam, for the first time in its history, did not contest.
The leaders and cadre of the AP Congress and TS TS have no confidence in their political future in the existing parties and are jumping to other parties.
The TD has become a leader-based party rather than a cadre based party. After party president and former chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, there is no suitable leader to lead the party and this worries TD leaders.
The YSRC in AP has already begun work to make itself stronger by the next Assembly elections, and the BJP is trying to occupy the TD’s place. The defections by MPs Y.S. Chowdary and C.M. Ramesh, who were confidants of TD president N. Chandrababu Naidu will impact party leaders and cadre.
In the past when the TD was in the Opposition for a decade from 2004 to 2014, Mr Chowdary took care of the party behind the screens and ensured that there was no financial problem. With his departure, it will be very difficult for the party leadership to find a leader to replace him.
The Congress in AP has no chance of recovering in the near future. After the untimely death of Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, the Congress high command was not able to find a suitable leader to replace him. In Telangana, the Congress is finding it difficult to find a leader for the party. In the previous Assembly elections, the Congress won 19 MLAs but is left with just six now.
