YSRCP too eyeing Karnataka, YS Jagan may field candidates for 20 seats in 2023

HYDERABAD: Even as the K Chandrashekar Rao-led Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) is looking to spread its footprints across the country, YSRCP, the ruling party in Andhra Pradesh too is speculated to fancy similar political dreams. Interestingly, Karnataka, as it appears now, is turning out to be the most favourite playground for both these two parties in their bid to test their fortunes beyond their proven political bastions.

KCR has recently announced that the foray of the BRS into national politics would begin with the Karnataka elections, required to be completed by May next year. The BRS, in alliance with the Janata Dal (Secular) will prop H D Kumaraswamy dreams to annexe the Chief Minister's throne again. And it is mainly eyeing the Hyderabad-Karnataka region or the Kalyana Karnataka to reap electoral riches, banking on the perceived positive vibes it enjoys there.

Armed by its welfare schemes, especially pro-farmer initiatives like Rythu Bandhu, KCR's BRS is hopeful of making significant gains in parts of Bidar, Yadgir, Raichur, Koppal and Kalaburagi of the erstwhile Hyderabad state.

KCR's plans for Karnataka seems to have ignited similar ambitions in Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy and his YSRCP. With elections seemingly appearing on the horizon in Karnataka, the YSRCP chief was reported to be seriously toying with the idea of taking the plunge in the neighbouring state's electoral politics in 2023 itself.

Like KCR, Jagan too has familiar factors to feel confident about a good, positive start in Karnataka.

History shows Telugus do have a major part to play in Karnataka, be it in business, IT sector or politics. It is common knowledge that the strong presence of the Telugu population, especially from Andhra Pradesh, holds the key in swinging the results one way or the other in several segments of Karnataka.

Thousands of Telugu families from Andhra Pradesh have migrated to this state many decades back and became intertwined with the Kannada society and culture. This apart, the urban populace too has a good sprinkling of the Telugus, mainly in the software and Information Technology sector.

While most of them hail from Andhra Pradesh, there is also a sizable number of white-collar and blue-collar employees from the border districts like Chittoor, Kadapa and Anantapur, eking out their living in that state.

'Gali' to provide the much-needed breeze to YS Jagan's YSRCP

The whole talk of a YSRCP ambush into Karnataka politics was fuelled by a fresh wave of speculation on social media. A section of the twitterati gave wings to it, claiming that the YSRCP had held a detailed round of talks with mining baron and BJP's former minister Gali Janardhan Reddy of Ballari. Reddy, who was in the past arrested for his alleged involvement in the Obulapuram mining case, is a close aide of YS Jaganmohan Reddy. Of late, he has been keeping aloof from his party, BJP, feeling like a fish out of the pond.

YS Jagan, as reports claim, strongly believes that the mining baron could be that quitessential local factor to provide the much-needed impetus for the YSRCP to gain a foothold in Vijayanagara and Ballari districts. Together with these two districts, YS Jagan is believed to be planning to field his candidates in at least 20 Assembly constituencies that traditionally boast of a strong Telugu migrant population in the other border districts of Raichur, Chikballapur and Kolar districts, abutting Anantapur, Chittoor and Kurnool districts in Andhra Pradesh. The exercise to simultaneously identify the most conducive Assembly constituencies and potential candidates has already reportedly begun with a senior Andhra Pradesh minister, known for his close rapport with Karnataka politicians, shouldering this responsibility.

Raichur, Sindhanur, Devadurga, Ballari, Siriguppa, Sandur, Challakere, Chitradurga, Hiriyur, Pavagada, Madhugiri, Bagepalli, Chintamani, Gowribidanur, Mulabagalu and Kolar are among the 20 Assembly constituencies that are reportedly under the YSRCP radar where the party is believed to be actively scouting for candidates with winning potential.

If YSRCP eventually gravitates towards this move, then two major political forces of the Telugu states would be adding their might to the complex maze of Karnataka's electoral politics. BJP and Congress, the major players besides the BD(S), will have to really sweat it out in 2023 as the presence of the BRS and the YSRCP can tilt the scales of traditional equations besides turning out to be party-poopers and giant-killers at some places.