New Delhi: Putting an end to almost a month-long speculation, Telangana Chief Minister and president of Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) K Chandrashekar Rao on Thursday took the decision to dissolve the Legislative Assembly. He submitted the recommendation to Governor E S L Narasimhan Thursday afternoon, opting for a fresh mandate. Sources close to the party suggest the state might go for elections by November end or early December. However, no official communication has come so far from the Election Commission of India.
Millennium Post had first reported on August 12 that KCR had initiated talks with his legislators and lawmakers, seeking their support on early polls. A party source said: "It is our assessment that the election should be in between November end and early December. However, there is no official communication from the Election Commission of India, though our CM submitted the recommendation to the Governor, who has approved it and communicated the same to the Union Home Ministry."
KCR's decision to end the first elected government in the southern state comes after a month-long speculation and before the opposition could understand. Political experts feel KCR's move comes amid the fear of the fact that his political stance of opposing the NDA for the impending Lok Sabha elections in 2019 could benefit the "main opposition" Congress in the state Assembly elections. Sensing the possibility, KCR took the decision of an early election.
On the other side, the source said that during his last meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, KCR had supported the concept of 'One Nation, One Election' concept. On various occasions, the Telangana government had taken a diplomatic stand of not opposing the ruling NDA. However, the TRS supremo said: "Telangana Rashtra Samithi is a 100 per cent secular party. How can we join hands with the BJP?" He added, "Everyone knows that Rahul Gandhi is the biggest buffoon in the country. The whole country has seen how he went to Mr Modi and hugged him, and the way he winked. He is a property for us... the more he comes (to Telangana) the more seats we will win. Before 2014, there were many issues in Telangana, like bomb blasts, electricity issues, communal violence, etc, but now we are free of all those. I am asking Congress leaders to come to the ground and fight in the elections and the public will give the reply."
"Rahul Gandhi inherited the legacy of Congress's Delhi sultanate... he is the legal heir of Congress Empire of Delhi. That is the reason I appeal to the people, let us not become slaves to the Congress, slaves to Delhi. Telangana ka nirnay Telangana mein hona chahiye (Telangana's decision should be taken in Telangana)."
Meanwhile, the Governor, while accepting KCR's recommendation to dissolve the assembly, asked him to continue in office as caretaker government.
Observers further feel KCR wants to go for elections while the farmers are in good mood after a good rainfall, as the sector has always felt an agrarian distress. Ever since he has come to power, he has tried to transform the eco-system for agriculture with irrigation schemes, drinking water schemes, distribution of sheep, loan waiver and the pioneering Rythu Bandhu, where the state-sanctioned Rs 4,000 per acre to every farmer as an investment to reduce the loan burden, says an observer.
Another strong reason could be that KCR does not want to get trapped in both the BJP and Congress's efforts to polarise the 12.7 per cent of the Muslim population in the state, say experts. The ruling TRS enjoys a good partnership with the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM).
"We are going to contest the election alone, but no doubt we are friends with the AIMIM," KCR said on Thursday.
In the 2014 polls, which were held immediately after Telangana was carved out of Andhra Pradesh, the TRS rode on public emotions of being the reason for a separate state to win 63 out of 119 Assembly seats and 11 out of 17 Lok Sabha seats. Subsequently, over the next couple of years, the ruling TRS made a serious dent in the Opposition by engineering relentless defections of MLAs and MPs from the Congress, Telugu Desam Party and YSR Congress.