Return Gifts: TRS To TDP, BJP To TRS

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, right after Assembly results were declared in December last year, had launched a scathing attack on his Andhra Pradesh counterpart Chandrababu Naidu stating that the later would definitely receive a return gift from him in the form of defeat in the elections in AP.

With trends available for 175 out of 175 seats in the Andhra Assembly, the YSR Congress is on the way to a landslide win. The YS Jagna Mohan Reddy led Party is leading in 152 seats and the ruling TDP is the poor second at 22. The Janasena Party is leading in 1. We can say the victory of YSRCP and defeat of TDP in the elections is Kcr’s return gift to CBN.

On the other hand, BJP is readying return gift to TRS, it seems. Kcr put forth the idea of a federal front last year and he had spoken about forming a non-Congress, non-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) coalition to give states more leverage through regional parties. At one stage, Kcr moves hinted of TRS joining UPA alliance, after his meeting with DMK leader M K Stalin.

Nonetheless, BJP-led NDA set to retain power as the alliance has taken a clear lead over the Congress-led UPA to cross the majority mark of 272 and race well over 300 seats out of the total 542 Lok Sabha seats. In Telangana, BJP is leading in 4 constituencies, which is an unexpected outcome. TRS is restricted for leading in just 8 constituencies, wherein Congress is leading in 4 and MIM is leading in 1 segment.

While YSRCP’s victory in AP is Kcr’s return gift to TDP or CBN, BJP’s strong fight in Telangana is the party’s return gift to TRS or Kcr.