#2022TheYearThatWas Telangana becomes a political potboiler with too many players entering fray

HYDERABAD: Year 2022 will certainly be a watershed year in the annals of fledgling Telangana State!

From TRS to BRS, intense byepoll, padayatras by leaders of various political parties, war of words between leaders, TRS/BRS MLAs poaching case, Delhi liquor scam, CBI, ED raids across the State including offices and premises of Labour Minister Malla Reddy, BRS MLAs’ banner of revolt against Malla Reddy etc.

And of course, on the apolitical horizon, the mega renovation of famed Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple at Yadagirigutta, renamed Yadadri, in Yadadri-Bhuvanagiri District, has been the cynosure of all eyes across the State and country.

The year 2022 remains memorable one in the history for all the rights and wrongs.

While Telangana remained a happening State in the country under the dynamic leadership of Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao and his team ably assisted by son and Municipal Administration Minister K T Rama Rao in all spheres especially IT, Industrial,municipal administration and other sectors, politics and verbal abuse touched their nadir with an eye on 2024 elections!

Chief Minister and TRS supremo who founded Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) on April 27, 2001, seeking separate State for Telangana from a combined Andhra Pradesh in view of discrimination on all spheres in combined State, ran a highly successful and unique agitation attracting national and international attention, finally succeeded in the goal.

Since the formation of Telangana State, on June 2, 2014, KCR, as he is popularly called, is ruling the State with an iron hand and dispelled all talk of economical viability of a small State and made it one of the most happening States in the country.

TRS to BRS

Not satisfied confining to Telangana State, KCR has set eyes on national politics, i.e., 2024 general elections, and rechristened the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) as Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS).

Though there has been mixed response to the decision, KCR is going ahead undeterred and has already been in talks with like-minded political leaders and parties across the country, especially former Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy.

Taking on ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) head on, KCR skipped meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visits to the State or otherwise, avoided Telangana Raj bhavan and Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, but met President of India Droupadi Murmu, met several national leaders and also called for Opposition unity in the run up to next general elections with the catchy slogan “Ab ki bar kisan Sarkar (next is farmers government).

Confident as usual, KCR is keen to field candidates and have tie-up with like minded parties across the country. The process has already begun in Maharashtra and Karnataka, where he is trying to attract electorate with welfare schemes of Telangana State like Rythu Bandhu, two bed room house, free power to farmers, Dalit Bandhu, Kalyana Lakshmi etc.

Politics too have changed dramatically from separate Telangana slogan before 2014 to focus on welfare of farmers and other downtrodden sectors in the country in 2022.

Year 2023 will certainly be a year of “Politics” in the annals of Indian history or politics of lowest nadir!

All eyes are on who will rule Bharat/India after next polls. The BJP is trying hard to win a third term to rule the country under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while the Congress for the first time in years brought in a non-Gandhi clan leader Mallikarjun Kharge as AICC president and trying to win under the shadow of-Sonia Gandhi-Rahul Gandhi-Priyanka Gandhi. Whether the BRS under KCR or a Third Front and national alliance involving major regional parties like Left, Trinamool Congress, DMK, BJD, Samajwadi, BSP and other regional and national parties would come together is to be seen.

Year of Padayatras in Telangana!

Taking a leaf from Y S Rajasekhara Reddy’s success story and earlier padayatras, Telangana BJP president Bandi Sanjay, YSR Telangana Party president Y S Sharmila, daughter of former AP Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy and sister of AP CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, and TPCC President A Revanth Reddy hit the road to ascertain the grievances and win over people.

Bandi Sanjay’s “Praja Sangrama Yatra” in phases has hit out at KCR and TRS/BRS, accusing the party of indulging in corruption and leaders of personal aggrandizement, at times turning abusive.

While Congress bigwig Rahul Gandhi is on Kanyakumari to Kashmir Bharat Jodo Yatra, Revanth Reddy, amidst internal squabbles and demand for his ouster, too hit the road in Rahul Gandhi’s support and against KCR government.

Congress, which remains a dominant force in Telangana politics despite BJP’s vociferous re-entry, is tasked with compiling a comprehensive report from village level on the failures of the BRS and the BJP, prepare charge sheets and release them to public in the run up to polls.

Not to be outdone, former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu held a big public meeting in Khammam to announce his re-entry after leaving State due to Cash for vote scam in which his “voice” figured!

Verbal abuse by leaders

Verbal abuse by leaders of all political parties touched its nadir in Telangana politics with the entry of Bandi Sanjay, A Revanth Reddy and Sharmila. KCR too was abusive during Telangana movement, but has now mellowed down.

I am a Hyderabadi

Sharmila, who launched “Praja Prasthanam Padayatra”, hit back at her detractors, particularly those calling her being outsider or Andhraite and that she has no place in Telangana State.

“I studied here, I got married here, I gave birth to children here. This is my soil, my past and future are intertwined with this state. I will work for welfare of this region,” she asserted. Sharmila is backed by her mother Y S Vijayamma. But rivals accused her of being a plant of the BJP and her CM brother Jagan!

TRS wins Munugode bye polls

Amidst this charged environment, the TRS won Munugode by poll in a ferocious battle with BJP while the Congress lost deposit. The TRS got 43 per cent vote followed by the BJP’s 38.3 per cent and the Congress polled 10.5 per cent of total valid votes, which indicate shape of things to come by at the end of the next general elections.

The TRS went all out with micro and macro poll management, welfare schemes and not to take chances also sought the support of the CPI and the CPM which finally paid off and also brought new alliances of the BRS, the CPI and the CPM to fore for 2024 polls!

BJP candidate Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy quit the Congress and joined the BJP and contested the poll, but lost to Kusukuntla Prabhakar Reddy of the TRS in Munugode. KCR went all out to win the elections but BJP sounds bugle for next big fight!

Delhi Liquor Scam, BRS MLAs poaching

Even as the name of Kavitha Kalvakuntla, TRS MLC and daughter of Chief Minister KCR was dotting Delhi liquor scam and subsequent interrogation by the Enforcement Directorate, in a dramatic turn of events, Four BRS MLAs Beeram Harhavardhn Reddy, Guvvala Balaraju, Rohit Reddy and Rega Kantha Rao informed Hyderabad police of a plot to entice them into the BJP fold.

Farm house MLAs poaching case and alleged destabilisation of BRS government

Ahead of Munugode byepolls, the Cyberabad police raided a farmhouse in Aziznagar near Hyderabad city on a complaint and arrested three persons allegedly trying to lure the BRS legislators with cash offer of over Rs 200 crore, political and government posts, contract offers, on a complaint from Tandur MLA Rohit Reddy.

Rohit Reddy accused one Ramachandra Bharathi alias Satish Sharma of Delhi, Nandu Kumar of Hyderabad, Simhayaji Swamy of Tirupati of trying to buy the MLAs to BJP fold.

The accused, who are in jail now for various charges, allegedly dropped names of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BL Santosh, BJP national General Secretary in the process.

KCR: BJP trying to destabilise TS government

KCR held a media conference and “exposed” the bait offered to the BRS MLAs and accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP of attempting to destabilising the Telangana Government.

The BJP stoutly denied the charge and accused KCR of stage-managing the whole episode to divert attention from Delhi liquor scam where his daughter Kavita is allegedly involved.

However, things took a curious turn after Telangana Government formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) under Hyderabad Police Commissioner C V Anand, while the Centre sent Enforcement Directorate to probe the cash involved in the purchase of the MLAs. High Court struck down the SIT formation and handed over the case to CBI.

The accused told the High Court that they were pronounced guilty by the Chief Minister even before the police investigation began, through a press conference and sought investigation by the CBI! And, the High Court allowed it.

I have no role in MLAs poaching: BL Santhosh

BJP National General Secretary B L Santhosh, who was summoned by the SIT but got a court stay, arrived in Hyderabad to conduct training classes to the BJP cadre. He stoutly refuted the allegation of his involvement in the MLAs poaching and said he would speak on the subject at an appropriate time.

Bandi’s threat and ED, CBI entry

But what raised eyebrows in political circles and among people was the constant threat by Bandi Sanjay to send KCR and family to jail for misdeeds and the subsequent raids by the ED, and the CBI in the State. If is it politically motivated or just holding out a veiled threat, only time will tell.

KTR epic tweet

But K T Rama Rao sent an epic tweet: “Thanks for appointing your BJP State president Sri B S Kumar as the Chief of ED also. Now we realise double engine is actually “Modi & ED” (sic).