In Telangana TRS, Cong Pact Works Towards Hung House?

By Likha Veer | INNLIVE

With a hung Assembly appearing to be a possibility in Telangana, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and the Congress have begun exploring various avenues of together forming the first government in the new state even before the votes have been cast. 
    
On the ground though, leaders of the two parties are at daggers drawn. TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao has spared no opportunity to hit out at the Congress and leaders of the grand old party have also been describing KCR as a ‘betrayer’ and ‘backstabber’ in the course of the campaign. 
However, the ground reality is that whichever outfit emerges as the single largest party, it still will fall short of the magic number of 60 to form the government on its own. Hence, it would be in the best interests of the two parties to form a coalition, confided sources in both the parties. 
    
TRS sources said KCR is of the view that if the pink party falls short of getting the majority by about 10 seats or less, it can seek the support of the MIM, CPI and independents. “However, we are of the view that in the event of a hung Assembly, a coalition with the Congress would ensure a stable government in Telangana that can last for five years without being shaky at any time,” a party source confided. 

Congress leaders are delighted with KCR’s assertion to a TV news channel two days ago that Congress president Sonia Gandhi deserves all the credit for granting Telangana. “At least, he had the decency to acknowledge the truth. At this juncture, no talk has been initiated between the two parties. But I am confident that we would come together in the interest of the development of the new state,” a Congress source told INNLIVE. Surveys point to hung Assembly, 

It is for this reason that leaders in both the parties are willing to ignore the war of words that is going on between the two parties. “While KCR has been criticizing both the TDPBJP alliance and the Congress, leaders like Jairam Ramesh have gone to the extent of describing the TRS chief as a Shiv Sena leader in the making who would ruin the new state if elected chief minister. But all this could change postelections,” a political analyst predicted. 
    
The prospects of a hung Assembly was bolstered by internal surveys conducted by the two parties that gave the edge to the TRS in north Telangana and the Congress in the southern part of that region. In the last elections, of the 65 seats in south Telangana, the TRS got less than 10 seats. 

This time around, the Congress has gone to town in this part of the state with the message that it was Sonia who granted Telangana. The sentiment is likely to benefit the TRS most in north Telangana, and hence, the parties are slated to mellow down post-poll ahead of declaration of results on May 16.