KCR hasn’t chickened out: Will efforts to weaken BRS by BJP-Congress nexus work in Telangana?

HYDERABAD: KCR has been barred by the Election Commission of India for 48 hours from campaigning. His remarks are cited as the reason, if not a ploy, by the ECI for imposing such a sanction on the most powerful Telangana voice. The trigger for the gag order against a person, who had served as the Chief Minister for one full decade, was a complaint by the Congress in Telangana. Isn’t the silence of the BJP on this in a democratic process exposing its complicity with the Congress?

Let us examine the major reasons that lay bare the nexus between the BJP and the Congress as constantly alleged by BRS supremo K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) and working president K T Rama Rao.

First blow was inflicted on the BRS in the form of arrest of KCR’s daughter and MLC Kalavakuntla Kavitha. One cannot but ascribe this to the murky political perpetration, for the arrest of Kavitha was used as a prelude to the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. The camaraderie between KCR and Kejriwal is all too well known. This naturally angered the top echelons of the BJP.

The simmering Delhi Liquor Policy case has always been staring at Kavitha ever since the smoke billowed and in a pre-meditated manner pointers were raised at her. However, her father KCR came in support of her and exuded confidence that she would emerge unblemished in the case.

Nonetheless, the cause has been haunting and her bail pleas are being vehemently opposed by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Many leaders and industrialists of the Telugu States were named as accused in the case and were kept under judicial custody for months. They were frustrated to an extent that most of them conceded to the coercive methods pursued by the two agencies which were empowered with draconian powers. A lot of them turned approvers and began issuing statements.

When it comes to using the ‘long arm of the law’ for political gains, the pickled opprobrium manifests in the form of arrests. This hostility may surely be converted into political advantage by the powers that be either at the Centre or at the State.

Kavitha was questioned, served with notices and the case has been prolonging with she being behind the bars.

Ironically, P Sarath Chandra Reddy, an accused-turned-approver, gave Rs. 50 crore to the BJP through the Electoral Bonds that caused a stir on the coercive practices of the BJP Government. Most companies who had given whopping donations were indeed caught more by cork rather than hook. If Sarath Chandra Reddy bought electoral bonds to submit to the BJP, another accused-turned-approver Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy was given Ongole MP ticket by the Telugu Desam Party, which is part of the BJP-led NDA. The condescension by the BJP to those turning hostile to Kavitha with a view to saving their own skin is too conspicuous.

Fall in line or face the music

While this was one of the major acts of omission converted into commission after the BRS debacle in the Telangana Assembly elections, the Congress party’s oppressive posturing towards BRS leaders is too evident to be ignored.

Either ‘fall in line or face the music’ is the thumb rule being followed by the Congress Government in Telangana. Most BRS leaders who were criticised and ridiculed during electioneering and also in the aftermath have begun to make a beeline to join the Congress to make peace with the leaders in command.

What’s intriguing here is that the political floor-crossing does not entail any avowed political policies.

The BRS has always clung on to its fundamental policy of espousing the Telangana cause, it has attempted to spread its wings and spearhead a nation-wide campaign for a non-BJP, non-Congress politics to stem the rot that has accumulated over the last 75 years of India becoming independent.

The Congress, which had been beaten hollow in Telangana as well as pan-India since 2014, is seeing a proverbial glimmer of hope what with the popular support, which surely is not a groundswell at the grass roots level, in some states.

The Congress thinks this a phenomenon panning out across India and the denouement of this cannot be portended either in favour or against the Congress, at least, for the moment.

However, the leaders crossing over to rival parties after the elections have proved that their betrayal is not owing to the political policies. Almost all of those joining whichever party have no sense of attachment with the policies of the parties they eschewed or the parties they embraced.

The BJP’s politics of vengeance reached their crescendo with the arrest of chief ministers like Hemanth Soren and Arvind Kejriwal and many dissenting voices. In the process, it is “whitewashing” the sins of those who turned pally with it even under duress. Himantha Biswa Sharma and as latest as the ‘clean chit’ to Ajit Pawar, Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, from of scam charges levelled by the ED are just cases in point.

As if to prove a point that it certainly is in tandem with the Modi regime’s thought process, the Revanth Reddy Government is Telangana is indeed matching a step with the former.

Gag order on only KCR, mum on slanging match in Andhra

The ECI barred KCR from campaigning for 48 hours, which is a sure sign of throttling dissenting voices. If KCR failed to draw crowds in his bus yatra, things would have been different. But, within five months of losing power, KCR seem to have regained his popularity among the masses. The abnormally resounding surge of crowds at his road shows is surely worrying the Congress and the BJP. However, it has yet to be seen whether this attendance of mammoth gatherings will convert into votes and the people will rally behind the BRS in the Lok Sabha elections.

By their attendance even during late evenings, one thing the people of Telangana have made clear is that they surely identify themselves with KCR and relate more to him than others who are aligned to the national parties.

The gag order on KCR once again buttressed the nexus between the BJP and the Congress, even though both parties castigate each other, for the sake of record, in public.

Ironically, the ECI remained a mute spectator to the tongue-lashing by Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy against KCR and the BRS. Videographic evidences have been abundantly available on the foul language used by the Chief Minister. He said on an occasion to assert that his government would waive the farm loans before August 15, “even if KCR hanged himself”.

BRS working oresidengt K T Rama Rao took to social media platform 'X' and said: "What is this injustice? Gag order on the voice of Telangana (Telangana ki awaz) KCR all at once? Hasn't the ECI been unable to hear the hate speech of Narendra Modi? Zeroi action against Modi despite thousands of citizens' complaints... Are the filthy remarks of Revanth Reddy appearing to the ECI as holy discourses? No action against the foul mouthed 'Cheap Minister of Telangana revanth?' Isn't this a conspiracy by 'bade bhai and chote bhai'? Why are BJP and Congress so shaken by #KCRPoruBaata? People of Tlengana will give a befitting answer to your arrogance & institutional abuse."

In a sharp contrast, the BJP is deliberately blind and mute to the venomous campaign against the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy Government by the TDP, Jana Sena, and their friendly media which is indeed unparliamentary in most cases. The complaints to the ECI are ending up in notices sans any action. Incidentally, the BJP is a partner of the TDP-Jana Sena combine in Andhra Pradesh.

The misery of the people and the hardship they have been encountering in the last five months with frequent power cuts, cases being filed by the TSSPDCL on those who are airing their grievance on social media platform ‘X’, the lack of irrigation water for the standing crops resulting in their wilting, the tardy progress in procurement of the paddy produce, and the dichotomy in the actions of the State Government in painting the magnificent Kaleshwaram project black and the dependence on the Mallannasagar and Kondapochamma Sagar for pumping drinking water expose the duplicity of the Congress government in the State.

Arrest of Krishank

The arrest of BRS Social Media convener Krishank Manne was yet another act of contempt of the Congress against the regional party. What should have been fought legally by presenting arguments and counter arguments was converted into a police case and surely the way Krishank was picked up and produced before the court of law is indicative of the hostility by the Telangana Government.

The strongarm tactic was perpetrated on the day when Home Minister of India was very much around in Telangana. Should it not be construed as a tacit approval of the Congress Government’s actions by the BJP? It is for the people to decide.

Against all these ominous odds, the BRS has reposed trust in the people and if putting up a brave fight to fortify its roots within Telangana.

Amid the hostile atmosphere, an unfazed KCR is gearing up to