The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leadership has reason to be chuffed after making its presence felt at HD Kumaraswamy’s swearing-in ceremony in Bengaluru on Wednesday.
After all, it gave TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu a sense of deja vu, in the company of HD Deve Gowda. In 1996, Naidu then much younger and newly minted chief minister, had played his part in making Gowda the Prime Minister as the head of the United Front.
Now 22 years on, with more grey, both in Naidu’s beard and the TDP’s political future, the Andhra CM has realised the importance of reaching out to old friends after ending his marriage with the BJP.
If Naidu had an issue with Gowda’s new-found ally, the Congress, he did not show it. In fact, much to everyone’s surprise, he patted Rahul Gandhi on the back and deviating from his trademark `V’ sign that he flashes to the crowds, Naidu decided to wave with an open palm.
No, do not read too much into the show of hands, insist those close to Naidu. The TDP knows the photo-op would give Naidu’s critics an opportunity to shoot barbs of ghar wapsi at him. Naidu was in the Congress till 1983 and was the youngest minister at 28 in the T Anjaiah government; he joined the TDP only after his father-in-law NT Rama Rao came to power.
It was not a Congress stage, says senior TDP leader K Rammohan Rao, explaining Naidu’s presence. Rao, who played an important part in 2013-14 tying up the TDP’s alliance with the BJP, is now the pointsperson ensuring Naidu is a prominent star in the opposition bandwagon.
“Gowda and Naidu share a good interpersonal relationship, and this is another reason why Naidu flew into Bengaluru. The third reason was the TDP’s appeal to Telugus living in Karnataka not to vote for the BJP. But for Naidu’s call, the BJP could have done better in the border districts, increasing its tally from 104 to 112. And four, if you do not share the dais, it will send the message that we are sitting on the fence. Our presence has made it clear that we are anti-Modi as far as our state issues are concerned,” explains Rao.
The TDP was formed by NTR in 1982 on an anti-Congress platform, so to be part of an anti-BJP (read anti-Modi) formation, rubbing shoulders with Rahul Gandhi would be anathema. At the same time, Naidu can take comfort in the fact that the Congress is a zero in Andhra after its decision to bifurcate the state in 2014. It does not have a single MLA or MP from the state and its stock is unlikely to move up significantly next year.
Moreover, in public perception, the BJP has replaced the Congress in Andhra as the villain of the piece. By denying special category status to the state, Modi has gone back on the promise he made in 2014 before the elections.
The Congress is trying to curry favour with the people by promising special status if it comes to power in 2019. But even if Naidu goes soft on the Congress, any kind of open electoral understanding in Andhra is ruled out.
Naidu’s move is also dictated by YSR Congress chief Jaganmohan Reddy’s perceived proximity to Modi. Though an alliance between the BJP and YSRC is ruled out, as allying with the BJP would be committing electoral suicide in Andhra, a tacit understanding in select seats or a post-poll tie-up cannot be ruled out.
The opposition leaders present in Bengaluru have also conveyed to Naidu that he needs to take the lead in ensuring regular meetings of regional parties on centre-state relations and forming a federal and secular front. This puts Naidu back in the role that he played as convener of the United Front and the NDA between 1996 and 2004. Nothing would please him more.
All this will not be music to K Chandrasekhar Rao, the other Telugu bidda who is aiming for his place under the national sun. KCR, who travelled to Kolkata, Chennai and Bengaluru to lobby for a non-BJP, non-Congress front, won’t be too amused at JD(S) joining hands with the Congress to come to power.
TRS chief and Telangana CM KCR did a no-show at the swearing-in ceremony, choosing instead to airdash to the Gowda residence the previous evening to wish the CM-elect. With the Congress his principal rival in Telangana, its resurgence next door will not be music to KCR’s ears.
Then there is the trust deficit vis-a-vis KCR. The BJP is not a force to reckon within Telangana, so from KCR’s point of view, the saffron party is less of a rival than the Congress. This makes the anti-BJP spectrum suspect KCR is batting on the opposition pitch as a proxy for Modi.
The first step towards establishing an opposition platform was taken in Bengaluru. But keep an eye on Telugu territory for a side battle playing out.
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