TDP In Crisis, Chandrababu In Catch-22 Situation
Kommineni Srinivasa Rao
It is a matter of debate now as to how political equations between arch-rivals Congress and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) would pan out, after the debacle in Telangana polls. Post bifurcation, political parties would generally operate as individual entities in two States. But, Chandrababu Naidu turned the situation upside-down with attempts to rule over the Congress party in the Telangana elections campaign. The people of Andhra Pradesh also followed Telangana elections closely.
The people of Telugu States, along with the rank and file of the Congress and TDP, experienced a sense of surprise with the way Chandrababu and Rahul shared the stage. Will Chandrababu help the Congress win in Telangana? Will he take the situation on both sides of the State border into control? These were the questions in everyone's mind.
It was the public's turn to be amused as to how two politicians, who had abused each other for a long time, had joined hands. On the other side, Telangana CM KCR turned the merger into a weapon against the attack on Telangana's prestige. As a result, the TDP and the Congress saw a humiliating defeat.
Even if the alliance had gained reasonably good share of seats or if it came to power, Chandrababu wouldn't have gained anything. Now, after the elections, some of the Congress leaders began blaming Chandrababu for the defeat. If Chandrababu was not offered the partnership in the alliance, the Congress would have secured many more seats, it is believed by some of the party's senior leaders.
In this context, it remains to be seen whether the Congress will partner Chandrababu for the Lok Sabha elections in both the States and the Assembly elections in AP. A section of the TDP leaders now changed the stance to befriending the Congress at the Centre and that the party would go it alone in AP.
It becomes interesting to observe the public reaction if the TDP-Congress alliance does not reciprocate in the two Telugu States while Chandrababu continues to have political relations with Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi. It will mirror the TDP's opportunism if it happens. Chandrababu's narrative of the Congress' promise of granting the Special Category Status (SCS) and fight for democracy would be weakened if the merger is repealed.
There would arise a remark over Chandrababu's compromise in forging an alliance with the party which divided the State. The fear of loss in AP similar to that in Telangana would also arise. In a nutshell, Chandrababu is in a catch-22 situation, it could be said. After the alliance's loss in Telangana, Chandrababu will face the ire irrespective of whether a TDP-Congress alliance would fight the AP elections.
Also, faith in Chandrababu would be lost after he had criticised Rahul Gandhi on touring Guntur district for achieving the SCS. And it is not believed by many that Rahul Gandhi would be elected as the PM. Hence, the argument that the Congress-TDP alliance would win both in the State and the Centre seems improbable and imprudent.
Meanwhile, YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy stood up for the cause of SCS and is continuing to fight alone. He is of the clear opinion that the YSRCP would offer support the party at the Centre that would grant the SCS.
The Congress and the TDP leaders have nowhere to go when it comes to taking the next decision. Chandrababu is in a crisis of a kind he has not faced.
