Telangana Assembly Elections: These Star Campaigners Could Change Your Fate

Anvesh Reddy

After Central Election Commissioner OP Rawat announced the Telangana election date last week, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) cadre was the most disappointed lot while the Congress grand alliance and the BJP were glad to find they had two months time before the polling day. On one side, TRS Chief K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) was cruising on the ruling party's ship with marathon public meetings before the dates were announced whereas on the other side, the likes of TPCC Chief Uttam Kumar Reddy and Chada Venkat Reddy of the CPM were at ease while contemplating their seat-sharing and chalking out the Common Minimum Program. It has to be said that KCR's estimation of the election date in November was not synonymous with that of many a member of the TRS, who had faltered in their leader's calculation.

However, KCR made it amply clear to the outside world that he would himself play the role of a captain of the TRS electioneering ship in the next 45 days. As against the role of a chief campaigner during the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Elections, caretaker IT minister K Taraka Rama Rao (KTR) was given the responsibility to handle the dissidents who were upset with the 105 contestants in the elections. Although KTR, along with another power-house in the party Harish Rao, had been pro-active in the campaign activities around the territories of their respective constituencies, Siricilla and Siddipet, the two were not given additional responsibilities in the campaign so far.

Apart from KCR, KTR, Harish Rao and MP Kavitha, there are not many TRS leaders who could pull the crowds, making the Congress's allegations of family rule seem true. Will this disadvantage haunt the TRS in the upcoming elections is a question that the TRS leaders should be able to answer as of now. Despite the lack of star campaigners outside his family, KCR himself would pull off wonders with his marathon meetings across constituencies in peak campaign days.

That being said, the Congress might rely on senior Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi besides party President Rahul Gandhi in campaigning, in view of the experience during the 2014 elections. Uttam Kumar Reddy had late August indicated that there was a chance of Sonia Gandhi's visit to the State early September. With the election schedule out and the Congress's grand alliance with the TDP, TJS and the CPM set to go full throttle, the Congress leadership might as well strategically bring in Sonia and Priyanka for electioneering in phases.

Also, senior leaders Jaipal Reddy, Jana Reddy, V Hanumanth Rao, Shabbir Ali and Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka could influence in bringing in a Congress wave in their respective districts. The likes of Congress working presidents Revanth Reddy and Ponnam Prabhakar, DK Aruna, Vijayashanthi and Bandla Ganesh are popular political figures who could draw the attention of the youth make the Congress's armour of star campaigners even more stronger.

Prof Kodandaram of the TJS, who might be given a free hand to tour across Telangana as part of the grand alliance's plans, would be influential in bringing the reality of the Telangana agitation and the sacrifice of hundreds of youth into a perspective.

Following MIM President Asaduddin Owaisi's open praise for KCR and the TRS's welfare schemes for the poor and the minorities, the Bharatiya Janata Party was quick to rope in Swami Paripoornananda of the Shree Peetham mutt in Kakinada to the helm of affairs. The buzz is that the BJP intends to cash in on the anti-Muslim vote bank by bestowing the campaign responsibility to the Swami and this appears to be true going by BJP National President Amit Shah’s invite to him for a meeting in Delhi on Monday. The entry of Prime Minister Narendra Modi into the fray in the fag end of the campaign would only bolster BJP's chances.

Also Read: Congress Joining Hands With Telangana Traitor Chandrababu: Harish Rao