Is the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) is heading for a split?
Rumors making rounds in media circles claim that, if the party failed to bag all the 16 of the 17 Lok Sabha seats as claimed by the party leadership, none can rule out fissures there after coming to the fore.
Soon after the emphatic party’s win in December, KCR in a bid to get rid of the ‘family’ or ‘dynast’ tag to his party government, kept his son KTR and nephew T Harish Rao, out of the cabinet. However, he made his son as the Party’s new Working President, which did not go well with the supporters of Harish Rao.
In the party, many feel and also agree that Harish Rao is more influential leader after KCR as he had been with his maternal uncle through ‘thick-and thin’ of separatists movement. It’s no secret as no sooner KTR was made the party’s Working President, good number of people rushed to the party headquarters at Jubilee Hills to register their protest. It also created mild tension and police were also forced to rush to cool down the situation.
However, the party leadership managed to handle the situation. But, the leadership’s decision to keep out Harish Rao from major party work indeed created some displeasure among party’s rank and file.
Even his name was not found in ‘star campaigners list of the party, which was first submitted to the Election Commission. However, after some furor within the party as well in a section of the media, forced the party to include his name in the list and resubmit to the EC, by replacing one of the names already given in the first list.
The trouble did not stop there as the party leadership had also restricted his campaigning to his native Medak district. This trigger rumors that Harish Rao was not all enthusiastic to go all out and campaign for the party nominees. This discomfiture in him may blow out of proposition, if the party failed to win maximum of the promised 16 seats. “If the party gets down to single digit, then the party will be in trouble. Harish may raise banner of revolt,” many in the party fear.
Though pollsters projecting that the TRS likely to get 12-14, even in worst situation, leaving just couple to its rivals Congress and BJP, the ground realities do give some cause of concern to the leadership. According to intelligence reports, in more than half a dozen LS constituencies the party is facing tough fight from Opponents.
Added to it is the general perception that people may view LS polls differently from the state. National priorities may take over state when people go out to vote in parliament elections. Whether Modi or Rahul charm helps their respective parties to win couple of seats, one has to wait till May 23 to know.