Hyderabad: The BRS and the YSRC, ruling parties in both the Telugu states, along with the Telugu Desam, will not be a part of either of the crucial political conclaves that may shape the country’s scenario in 2024.
The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance will meet, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in New Delhi on July 18, for which Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan will be in attendance.
The entire spectrum of parties opposing the BJP, barring a few, will meet in Bengaluru on July 17 and 18 for a two-day conclave. And to ensure that the stitching of the alliance is done better, the grand old lady of Congress, Sonia Gandhi, will be present at the meeting.
Of the three absentees, the YSRC, as narrated by a senior party leader, has a clear approach — no alliance with any party and a healthy working relationship with the Centre.
“Our cadre or voters are not comfortable with any electoral alliance with the saffron party and they never mind a cordial relationship with the PM for good of the state,” a senior party leader said.
The TD, which once called the shots in national politics, has eagerly been waiting for the Jana Sena to convince its big brother BJP at the Centre to bury the hatchet and formalise a tri-party alliance.
A beginning to restore friendship, the party feels, has already been made at the recent Shah-Naidu meeting.
“There is no change in our objective of avoiding split in the anti-incumbency vote. We have been conveying our thought process to BJP’s top leadership time and again,” Jana Sena’s political affairs committee chairman and the party’s number two, Nadendla Manohar, told Deccan Chronicle.
Although not sure of the course of deliberations, Jana Sena, according to Manohar, will explore the possibilities of putting forth its thought process at the NDA meeting too.
The BRS is in a peculiar situation wherein the party nurtures its national ambitions but is increasingly getting isolated, with no other regional or national player allowing it into their respective teams.
Efforts of the party supremo and Telangana state Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao to attempt an alternative to both BJP and Congress did not progress beyond his meetings with the opposition leaders.
In the latest development, BRS’ friend-in-compulsion Aam Admi Party — as leaders of both parties are alleged to be in cahoots for the Delhi liquor scam — received an unexpected friendly gesture from Congress, which backed the AAP in its fight against an Ordinance issued by the Centre curtailing the Delhi government’s powers.
The BRS is reportedly angry over Rahul Gandhi openly announcing that Congress threatened to walk out of the anti-BJP front if Chandrashekar Rao was made a part of the Opposition front. “It shows Congress’ audacity and its dual standards,” said party national face and former MP B. Vinod Kumar.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, he questioned the genuineness of Congress’ claims of forging a united front against the BJP, while distancing itself from non-BJP parties.
“Our focus is entirely now on winning Telangana for the third term. The nation will see what role Congress would be able to play post the Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh polls,” he said.
The BRS appears to be looking at a scenario which gives it leverage to play an important role with other regional players. “We enjoy very good relations with Kejriwal and Akhilesh (Yadav, of Samajwadi Party),” Vinod Kumar said.
