In what could be termed as “self goal” by YSR Congress (YSRCP) in poll-bound Andhra Pradesh, the proposed alliance with Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) might prove costly for the regional party.
The ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) is trying to extract every benefit out of the tie up, by projecting the YSRCP as a party shaking hands with bunch of Andhra haters.
The timing of the YSRCP’s tie up with the Federal Front floated by none other than K Chandrasekhar Rao, the Telangana protagonist and chief minister of separate Telangana was such that the TDP, which is facing a severe anti incumbency wave in the state, has got a reprieve.
“YS Jaganmohan Reddy is known for taking a wrong decision at a right time. Fresh from 360 days of padayatra, he should have restrained from appearing in public with K Taraka Rama Rao,” Ganta Srinivasa Rao, AP HRD minister said in Visakhapatnam.
“The same KCR who has called people of AP “demons” and called our Biryani as cow dung and heckled our way of living time and again will not be tolerated in AP,” Bonda Umamaheswara Rao , Vijayawada legislator, said. “This shows the nexus between two corrupt people saving each other’s skin,” another minister Devineni Umamaheswar Rao said.
Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu, who was touted as the sole reason behind the debacle of “Mahagathbandhan” in Telangana Assembly elections, was found rejoicing. “Three Modi’s — the Modi, KCR and Jagan — have come out of the closet now.” “Modi is afraid of AP developing faster than his Gujarat” Naidu said.
The TDP believes that it could rake up sentiment in Andhra as the people consider KCR as the reason for the bifurcation of the state and the eventual ouster of people of AP from Hyderabad, the main source of revenue.
“The TRS cashed in on the campaign of Naidu in Telangana by spreading rumours that Telangana is going back to AP hands. We can do the same for KCR if he comes here for campaigning,” a TDP leader from coastal AP said.
Sources in YSRCP also said that the decision to work with the TRS and the All India Majlis e Ittahadul Mulsimeen (AIMIM) should have been kept under wraps till elections were over.