Sharp criticism by Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundarajan of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government and its leadership has taken the political parties in the State by surprise.
Inside information from different quarters indicates that the Governor has the backing from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah in stepping up her criticism against the State government and indirectly, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao. The BJP leadership, according to sources, has adopted a two-pronged strategy to counter the TRS in its efforts to expand its footprint in Telangana. Accordingly, the BJP leadership has been more virulent against the TRS government in the recent past while the Governor has been directed to be more aggressive in her posturing against the State government so as to “aggravate the situation”.
The Union Government and the BJP national leadership are understood to have decided to launch a no holds barred offensive against the State government and the Chief Minister. The aggressive stand against the TRS is said to be borne out of the Privilege notice served by the TRS MPs against the Prime Minister in the light of the latter’s comments on the manner in which the united AP was bifurcated.
The subsequent political developments wherein Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao and his party leaders specifically targeted Mr. Modi has obviously not gone down well with the BJP leadership and the Prime Minister’s Office. The situation reportedly reached a crescendo after the PMO called up Union Minister from Telangana G. Kishan Reddy, who was in the thick of the election campaign in Goa, to understand what was exactly transpiring in Telangana.
As expected this was followed by the vitriolic attack of the State BJP leadership on TRS government and its policies, continuing till date, while the controversy over procurement of paddy by the Centre has only aggravated the situation further. The Governor, sources said, briefed the Prime Minister and the Home Minister about the omissions and commissions of the TRS government as also the repeated instances that were tantamount to undermining the institution of the Governor. As expected the Governor’s briefing had invigorated the BJP leadership to further mount the offensive against the government while at the same time focussing more on expanding its presence in the State.
The BJP’s aggression stems from the fact that the party sensed a fairly good chance of improving its electoral performance in the State and this was also corroborated by the visit of two senior leaders — party’s organisation secretary B.L. Santoshi and his deputy Shiv Prakash — to get a feel of the situation in the State.
The feedback on the party’s prospects coupled with the simmering differences between the Chief Minister and the Raj Bhavan have come as an opportunity for the BJP to get even with Mr. Rao, sources said. The tone and tenor in which the Governor spoke after emerging out of the meeting with Mr. Amit Shah portray that clear battle lines are drawn between the Governor’s office and the Government.
“This is going to be another play out like West Bengal,” a BJP leader said adding that the Centre would now launch an advertising blitzkrieg highlighting the funds it has given to Telangana. The recent advertisement on the Mudra loans given to the needy in TS is a pointer of more such advertisements.
It is to be seen how the latest round of vocal reaction by the Governor and an equally strong counter by the ruling TRS is going to change the political landscape of Telangana.
