Hyderabad: The Congress high command wants to get non-UPA parties on its side before the Lok Sabha results are out. The Congress high command is eyeing the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) in Telangana state and the YSR Congress in AP.
The Congress high command is likely to send former Union minister and party senior leader P. Chidambaram who is on good terms with TRS president and CM K. Chandrasekhar Rao to discuss with him. Mr Chidambaram had played a key role in the preparation of the AP State Reorganisation Bill to form Telangana state.
Sources said that the Congress high command may utilise the services of NCP president Sharad Pawar, a former Maharashtra chief minister, who has good relations with Mr Rao, and had supported the formation of Telangana state.
Regarding the YSRC, no AICC leader has a good rapport with its president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy to deal with him directly. Mr Reddy has faith and great respect for former President Pranab Mukherjee. The Congress high command may utilise the services of Mr Mukherjee to talk to Mr Reddy. Once he reacts favourably, the Congress will send leaders close to the late Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy like former CM Veerappa Moily of Karnataka) and Ghulam Nabi Azad of Jammu and Kashmir.
