Is Something Cooking Between TRS and BJP?

The by-election to the Lingojiguda division in Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation caused by the demise of BJP corporator-elect Akula Ramesh Goud even before taking oath kicked off a political storm in Telangana BJP. A delegation of BJP leaders called on TRS working president KT Rama Rao seeking his party’s support to facilitate the unanimous election of its candidate in the by-poll. The BJP fielded the departed leader’s son. The unanimous election is not possible only if TRS opts out. The BJP seems to have not made any such appeal to the congress, which is now considering contesting the by-poll. Yet, the BJP sought TRS support much to the consternation of political observers.

The BJP leaders’ voyage to Pragati Bhavan to hold parleys with KTR comes at a time when the party-state president Bandi Sanjay repeatedly asserting that they are committed to send KCR’s family to jail.

The BJP-TRS acrimony reached its crescendo with a lotus blooming in Dubbak to wrest the seat from the ruling party. The BJP which claims to replace TRS in 2023, surprisingly seeks the support of the pink party to sail through a by-poll in a GHMC division. The BJP parleys with KTR coming to a day before the Nagarjuna Sagar by-poll irked the party.

The saffron party is already facing allegations that its approach to KCR is to strike but not to wound him. The congress popularly calls it ‘Dosti in Delhi, but kusti in Hyderabad’. But, the Lingojiguda diplomacy tantamount to dosti in Hyderabad too.

The BJP requested KTR not to field TRS nominee in Lingojiguda by-poll on sympathetic grounds as the son of the departed leader is fielded. But, it may be recalled here that BJP has not shown any such ‘sympathy’ towards TRS in Dubbak or Nagarjunasagar where the family members of the deceased MLAs are fielded. The BJP opposed to inheritance politics is seeking TRS favour on the same ground.

Equally surprising is that KTR readily agreed to the saffron party’s request. Besides, the TRS working president reportedly appealed to congress not to field a nominee against BJP. The TRS has not shown any such gesture and contested Paleru in 2016 against the widow of former minister R Venkat Reddy and contested Narayankhed by-poll despite congress fielding the son of deceased MLA Kistha Reddy. Now, why such bonhomie towards BJP? All this comes against the backdrop of KCR’s conspicuous silence on farm laws post GHMC polls and BJP’s low-key campaign against TRS in Nagarjuna Sagar. Thus, the Lingojiguda episode gives credence to the allegation that BJP is adopting a blow-hot-blow-cold approach towards the pink party.

-By Prof K Nageshwar

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