KCR walks into Congress trap on referendum?

Did Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) leader K Chandrasekhar Rao walk into the trap laid by the Congress or he is not keen in achieving statehood for the region? Both reasons seem to be plausible after the TRS leader said he was ready for a referendum on Hyderabad on whether it should be part of Telangana.

He made the remarks in the wake of two ministers from the city – M Mukesh Goud and Danam Nagender – demanding that Hyderabad should be made a separate state or be accorded special status in case the Centre decided to consider the demand for Telangana.

Taking cue from the ministers, Telugu Desam leader Sudesh Rambhotla also demanded that the Centre should consult the  people of the twin cities by holding a referendum on the status of Hyderabad. He even wrote a letter to TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu to take the opinion of the Hyderabadis at the time of bifurcation of the state. The leaders who are raising the issue of referendum are known for their anti-Telangana stance and Chandrasekhar Rao agreeing to their demand is somewhat strange as majority of the people in the city are from other places and they never were never interested in Telangana all these years.

Though TRS has won two of the four Assembly seats it contested in alliance with the Congress and Left parties in 2004 elections. However, it lost both seats – one each to Congress and Telugu Desam – in the by-elections held in 2008. Earlier, the party contested in the MCH elections but could win only one seat.

Again in 2009,  it contested 10 Assembly seats as part of Grand Alliace which included Telugu Desam and Communist parties but failed to win even a single seat. The party leadership was so disheartened with outcome of the 2009 poll verdict that it did not contest in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation elections held in November 2009.

The confidence of Chandrasekhar Rao, who gained popularity after the Centre agreed to form separate state in December 2009, stems from the fact the TRS did not lose a single by-election in the region since 2010. But how far people in the twin cities will vote in favour of Telangana state is anybody’s guess as most of them are settlers and despite assurances by TRS leaders that no harm would be done to them, the manner with which people from other regions were attacked  during 1969 agitation is still fresh in their memories.

If at all they supported TRS, its candidates would not have lost in the Assembly elections in Greater Hyderabad in 2009.

The other reason why Chandrasekhar Rao agreed for a referendum is that he is not keen on the Centre announcing  Telangana as elections are still one and a half year away. If the issue can be dragged till that time, his party will gain maximum benefit and he will become the undisputed leader, even if his party is merged in the Congress, unlike Praja Rajyam founder K Chiranjeevi, who had to wait for several months before becoming Union Minister.