TELANGANA 'PINK PANTHERS' ON POLITICAL WARPATH

By M H Ahssan / Hyderabad

Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), a political party in Andhra Pradesh fighting to acquire Telangana from Andhra Pradesh map ismaking its impact on major political developments in state politics. The party supremo K Chandrasekhar Rao, polularly known as KCR, did not fetch power to his party, the TRS. He is not any where near that, either. The TRS remained a hanger-on either to the Congress or to the Telugu Desam-led coalition in two successive general elections. 

Special Story: The Power Of 'Sons' Rise In Two 'Telugu States'

By NEWSCOP } INNLIVE

Nara Lokesh And KT Rama Rao Are Being Aggressively Pushed By Their Dads. But Political Inheritance Apart, The Two Scions Are Like Chalk And Cheese.

When a journalist recently asked him whether son Nara Lokesh would be projected as the chief ministerial candidate in the 2019 elections, Andhra CM Chandrababu Naidu shot back:

‍Telangana CM ‍KCR's Dalit Outreach Raises Political Dust Ahead Of Huzurabad By-Election

The Huzurabad Assembly constituency in Telangana is witnessing an intense political bickering between ruling TRS and the opposition parties over an ambitious scheme announced by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao to woo Dalits.

The Dalit Bandhu scheme, aimed at providing financial assistance to identified Dalit families and promote entrepreneurship among them, has raised the political temperature in the state even before the announcement of the bypoll schedule by the Election Commission.

With the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government going ahead with the launch of Dalit Bandhu as a pilot project in the Huzurabad constituency, the opposition parties have dubbed it as a poll stunt and questioned KCR's concern for Dalits.

The Chief Minister has defended his move for implementation of the scheme on pilot basis in Huzurabad saying there is nothing wrong if TRS was looking to derive political mileage from this.

Citing the Chief Minister's statement, some NGOs have moved the Election Commission of India and even the high court seeking directions to stop the scheme.

Social activist Akkala Suresh Kumar has filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) at the Telangana High Court challenging Dalit Bandhu's implementation in Huzurabad.

He argues that the government should start implementation of the scheme in any the 16 Assembly constituencies reserved for Scheduled Castes in the state.
By-election to Huzurabad, which is an open Assembly seat, is likely to be held soon.

The seat fell vacant last month with the resignation of former minister Eatala Rajender. He also quit TRS to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has already decided to give him the ticket for the bypoll.
Rajender's resignation from TRS and Assembly came after he was dropped from the Cabinet by KCR following allegations of land encroachment.

The Forum for Good Governance, an NGO, recently urged the Election Commission of India to stop the implementation of the Dalit Bandhu scheme in Huzurabad.

Forum secretary M. Padmanabha Reddy, in a letter to the Chief Election Commissioner, stated that due to various reasons, the by-election has become a prestige issue for the ruling party. There is a general feeling that the result of this by-election will have an impact on the next Assembly elections.

"I am not a saint living in Himalayas. I am a politician and I am introducing this scheme in Huzurabad for electoral gains only - what is wrong with it," the letter quoted the Chief Minister as saying at a recent party meeting.

Last week, KCR held a day-long meeting with 450 Dalit representatives from Huzurabad to discuss the implementation of the scheme.

He stated that by making the scheme a success in Huzurabad, it should be made a torchbearer for the Dalit community in the entire country. He claimed that the Telangana Dalit Bandhu Scheme is being implemented to remove economic disparity and also social discrimination of the Dalits.

KCR desired that with the financial assistance given under the scheme, the Dalit community should develop itself as a business community by selecting industries, employment, and business of their choice.

Under the scheme, financial assistance of Rs 10 lakh each will be provided to eligible beneficiaries from Dalit community.

Under the first phase, 100 families from each of the 119 Assembly constituencies will be identified. The government has announced an allocation of Rs 1,200 crore for the scheme.

At a meeting to welcome some leaders of the BJP and the Congress into the TRS on July 30, KCR had reiterated that the government would implement the scheme at any cost.

"Opposition parties are worried about their fate as the scheme will be implemented all over the state. It was supposed to be launched last year, but got delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic," he had said, adding that the government is ready to spend Rs 1 lakh crore on the scheme.

He attributed the birth of several schemes in Telangana to the deep study of the lives of sections that could not benefit from development in the past.

"You need a heart to understand their plight and how they missed out," he argued.

Over the last 2-3 weeks, the Chief Minister held a series of meetings to discuss the modalities for ‘Dalit Bandhu'.

The opposition parties, however, questioned KCR's concern for Dalits. Both the Congress and the BJP reminded him of his promise made before 2014 that a Dalit will be the first Chief Minister of Telangana.

"Why not a single leader from the 18 per cent strong Dalit community was considered for the CM's post," asked state BJP chief Bandi Sanjay.

He also wanted to know what happened to KCR's promise of 3-acre land for every Dalit family and to solve the issue of ‘podu' lands tilled by the tribals.
Congress leader Dasoju Sravan wants to know what KCR did for Dalits in last seven years.

"This scheme has been announced with an eye on the by-elections. If he is really sincere in improving the socio-economic conditions, why the government is failing every year to spend the funds allocated under the SC ST Sub Plan," asked Sravan.

This Dalit outreach by the TRS chief comes at a time when there is a feeling that the backward classes are moving closer to BJP.
Rajender, who was associated with TRS since its inception, is a leader from the Mudiraj community, a backward class. Given the huge popularity he enjoys in Huzurabad, he is likely to pose a big challenge to the ruling party in the by-election.

Bandi Sanjay and another BJP MP D. Arvind are from Munnuru Kapus, one of the BC communities KCR relied for support over the last seven years.

Some political analysts also see this Dalit outreach in the context of two other key political developments -- Revanth Reddy taking over as the president of Congress party in the state and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy's daughter Y.S. Sharmila launching her political party in Telangana.

"Dalit Bandhu has surely made heads turn in Telangana and across the country. Proposal to allocate Rs 10 lakhs per family might surely help alleviate poverty from those selected families. However, there are potential risks associated due to political implications," said political analyst Palwai Raghavendra Reddy.

He is of the view that selecting only 100 families per village will surely alienate other Dalits and economically backward sections. Unless KCR and TRS culls potential risks, road ahead will be filled with many political potholes, he observed.
Opposition parties, on the other hand, are pushed on to the backfoot on the issue of Dalit welfare.

"Both the BJP and Congress will have to make extremely convincing arguments for them to counter the advantage KCR and TRS has with Dalit Bandhu," he added. #KhabarLive #hydnews 

How 'Telugu CMs' Are Wasting Public Money On Vaastu?

What is driving the tech-savvy Chandrababu Naidu administration in Andhra Pradesh and revolutionary leader K Chandrasekhar Rao government in Telangana? It is superstition. Both are spending huge sums from the respective state exchequers to ward off evil influences.

For those not in the know, Naidu is the first chief minister in the country to have introduced iPads for a cabinet meeting, and both he and KCR claim to be modern-day administrators driven by the spirit of science and power of technology.

The Telangana Conundrum: Will Hyderabad Be The Stumbling Block?

At the meeting convened in the Union Home Ministry last Thursday, the Andhra Pradesh chief secretary, DGP and Intelligence chief besides the irrigation and power secretaries were quizzed about the possible reaction in the state to two scenarios. One, Hyderabad remains a separate entity and two new capitals are announced for Telangana and Seemandhra. The second, if Hyderabad was retained as a common capital for a minimum period of ten years. More than a year after the Srikrishna committee gave an exhaustive report on the development, or rather the lack of it in all three regions, the secretaries were also reportedly asked questions on the backwardness of Rayalaseema.

What response the officers from Andhra Pradesh gave is not known (apart from making a case for deploying extra security forces to handle the fallout of the decision) but what it shows is that the last word has not yet been said on the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh. Though political quarters in Delhi indicated last week that “Telangana is inevitable”, even leaders from the region are now wary of a googly being bowled by Delhi.

Whispers in the corridors of power indicate the decision on the status of Hyderabad will prove to be a stumbling block. Geographically Hyderabad belongs to Telangana but the Centre is equally concerned about the safety and well-being of the large number of people from other parts of Andhra Pradesh and the country who are settled in the city, potentially in the Telangana state.

In the midst of all this, K Chandrasekhar Rao has bowled a beamer by suggesting a referendum in Hyderabad. Given that all along KCR has talked of Hyderabad being built with the sweat, blood and tears of the people of Telangana, his offer has left many of his supporters bewildered. More so, since his Telangana Rashtra Samiti has never done well electorally in the city constituencies. What is the plan behind KCR making the status of Hyderabad open-ended and seeking to a referendum?
 

KCR obviously knows a referendum will not take place because there is no provision for it under law and it will only create further fissures in an already polarised society, that is divided on regional lines. It will create more hostility and there will be tremendous pressure on every voter. KCR knows he has nothing to lose while agreeing to a referendum in principle.

Those who are in the thick of arguing for or against Telangana also point to the trust deficit between the Congress and the TRS as another stumbling block. The Congress wants KCR to agree to a merger before the announcement on Telangana. KCR wants the announcement to come first and see how the Congress handles the fallout of the decision in Seemandhra before agreeing to merge the TRS with the Congress. Given the U-turn the Congress made on forming the separate state in December 2009, TRS leaders say KCR is once bitten, twice shy. Even Congress leaders are not sure if KCR will keep his word on merging the two parties. After all, why would KCR after doing all the hard work, let Congress eat the fruit.

Another critical factor will be YS Jaganmohan Reddy. Vayalar Ravi let the cat out of the bag during the recent Chintan Shivir in Jaipur that the Congress could look for an alliance or understanding with YSR Congress. Given that the YSRC, its wishy-washy stand notwithstanding, is more in favour of the existing structure of Andhra Pradesh, the Congress might find it difficult to bifurcate and at the same time, try to befriend Jagan before the polls.

With the decision on Telangana to be announced by 28 January, the Seemandhra leaders are giving it all they can, in the last over of the Andhra Pradesh match. It is a difficult situation for the Congress. If it plays defensively, it could lose the match in Telangana. If it decides to hit out, it is likely to be stumped in Seemandhra. The manner in which it is raining trouble for the party, its only hope would be to somehow save face through a complicated Duckworth-Lewis method.

The Telangana Conundrum: Will Hyderabad Be The Stumbling Block?

At the meeting convened in the Union Home Ministry last Thursday, the Andhra Pradesh chief secretary, DGP and Intelligence chief besides the irrigation and power secretaries were quizzed about the possible reaction in the state to two scenarios. One, Hyderabad remains a separate entity and two new capitals are announced for Telangana and Seemandhra. The second, if Hyderabad was retained as a common capital for a minimum period of ten years. More than a year after the Srikrishna committee gave an exhaustive report on the development, or rather the lack of it in all three regions, the secretaries were also reportedly asked questions on the backwardness of Rayalaseema.

What response the officers from Andhra Pradesh gave is not known (apart from making a case for deploying extra security forces to handle the fallout of the decision) but what it shows is that the last word has not yet been said on the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh. Though political quarters in Delhi indicated last week that “Telangana is inevitable”, even leaders from the region are now wary of a googly being bowled by Delhi.

Whispers in the corridors of power indicate the decision on the status of Hyderabad will prove to be a stumbling block. Geographically Hyderabad belongs to Telangana but the Centre is equally concerned about the safety and well-being of the large number of people from other parts of Andhra Pradesh and the country who are settled in the city, potentially in the Telangana state.

In the midst of all this, K Chandrasekhar Rao has bowled a beamer by suggesting a referendum in Hyderabad. Given that all along KCR has talked of Hyderabad being built with the sweat, blood and tears of the people of Telangana, his offer has left many of his supporters bewildered. More so, since his Telangana Rashtra Samiti has never done well electorally in the city constituencies. What is the plan behind KCR making the status of Hyderabad open-ended and seeking to a referendum? 

KCR obviously knows a referendum will not take place because there is no provision for it under law and it will only create further fissures in an already polarised society, that is divided on regional lines. It will create more hostility and there will be tremendous pressure on every voter. KCR knows he has nothing to lose while agreeing to a referendum in principle.

Those who are in the thick of arguing for or against Telangana also point to the trust deficit between the Congress and the TRS as another stumbling block. The Congress wants KCR to agree to a merger before the announcement on Telangana. KCR wants the announcement to come first and see how the Congress handles the fallout of the decision in Seemandhra before agreeing to merge the TRS with the Congress. Given the U-turn the Congress made on forming the separate state in December 2009, TRS leaders say KCR is once bitten, twice shy. Even Congress leaders are not sure if KCR will keep his word on merging the two parties. After all, why would KCR after doing all the hard work, let Congress eat the fruit.

Another critical factor will be YS Jaganmohan Reddy. Vayalar Ravi let the cat out of the bag during the recent Chintan Shivir in Jaipur that the Congress could look for an alliance or understanding with YSR Congress. Given that the YSRC, its wishy-washy stand notwithstanding, is more in favour of the existing structure of Andhra Pradesh, the Congress might find it difficult to bifurcate and at the same time, try to befriend Jagan before the polls.

With the decision on Telangana to be announced by 28 January, the Seemandhra leaders are giving it all they can, in the last over of the Andhra Pradesh match. It is a difficult situation for the Congress. If it plays defensively, it could lose the match in Telangana. If it decides to hit out, it is likely to be stumped in Seemandhra. The manner in which it is raining trouble for the party, its only hope would be to somehow save face through a complicated Duckworth-Lewis method.

Should Telangana Hero KCR Have A 'Party In The Family'?

By Arhan Faraaz | INNLIVE

Telangana Rashtra Samiti chief K Chandrasekhar Rao will contest this election from Gajwel assembly constituency. In addition, he will contest from Medak Lok Sabha seat. Son K T Rama Rao will contest from Sircilla assembly constituency while nephew Harish Rao will fight from Siddipet. Both are sitting MLAs. Daughter Kavitha will make her political debut from Nizamabad Lok Sabha constituency. No wonder, KCR is being accused of converting the TRS into a family affair. But he and his family say there is nothing wrong with it.

The Growing Tussle Between Two-Chief Ministers Of India

By M H Ahssan
Group Editor in Chief

As the time is passing the tussle between two-fire-brand chief ministers is growing to it's peak. One claims the complete involvement of cash-on-vote scam, another accused to master the entire episode.

Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu has the image of being media-savvy. He does occasionally fumble for words and sentences, but generally, he conveys the impression of being a mature politician.

Telangana Rashtra Samithi Selected A Team For 2014 Battle

The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) is finalising the 2014 battle positions for its top leaders, and indications are that party supremo K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) will ease out sitting MP Vijayashanti from Medak for himself while his daughter Kavitha will be fielded from the Nizambad Lok Sabha seat. 
    
TRS sources said Vijayashanti will not be given a party ticket to contest the parliament elections, and that KCR is likely to contest from Medak. “Vijayashanti has become a liability of sort for the party with her being disconnected with the ranks these days. And the general feeling in the party is that seriously committed leaders must be sent to Parliament,” said a senior TRS leader and hinted that she will be offered an assembly seat. 
    
KCR will shift to Medak because it is considered a safer seat as compared to Mahbubnagar, which he represents right now. As a strategy, the TRS is floating the name of retired IAS officer K V Ramanachary for Medak, but party sources confirmed that KCR would be the candidate. Getting wind of it, Vijayashanti said she will let go of Medak if KCR wants it for himself, but will not give it to anyone else. 
    
TRS sources said it was almost final that the party would field Kavitha, who is also president of Telangana Jagruthi, from Nizamabad. Her candidature is expected to be formally announced by KCR in a public function in Armoor in Nizamabad to celebrate the party formation day on April 27. 
    
Choosing Nizamabad for the party celebration day is strategic, according the TRS sources, as the function would be a launch pad for Kavitha. Along with her name, KCR is expected to announce party candidates for three to four of the total 17 Lok Sabha seats from the Telangana region and over 25 candidates as first installment of the list of 119 for the Assembly polls. 
    
While majority of MLAs in Nizamabad district are from TDP, the parliament constituency is represented by Congress MP Madhu Yaskhi. TRS has been urging T Congress MPs including Yaskhi to quit and join KCR with the promise that they will be re-nominated from the seats they represent. However, with the Congress MPs not taking the plunge, the TRS is threatening to go ahead in finalising the candidates. 
    
Kavitha told INN she was willing to take up responsibility of contesting from Nizamabad in the interest of Telangana. “We are not hankering for power, but being in power is important in order to goad the Centre to grant separate statehood for Telangana,” added Kavitha.

How Telangana CM KCR is Wiping Out The Congress And Telugu Desam Party From The State?

By M H AHSSAN | INNLIVE

While the TDP is down to three legislators, the Congress is left with just 12 after a series of defections to the chief minister's Telangana Rashtra Samithi.

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao seems to be generously assisting the Bharatiya Janata Party in its mission to wipe out the Congress from India.

Since the formation of Telangana in 2014, the Congress’ strength in the 119-member state Assembly has fallen from 21 to 12. Over the last two years, there has been a steady trickle of Parliamentarians and legislators from the Congress' Gandhi Bhavan to Telangana Bhavan, the office of the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi.

Warring Two-States Scenario: How Telangana And Andhra Pradesh CMs Got Personal Into Rivalary?

By LIKHA VEER | INNLIVE

This is a tale of two warring chief ministers. One, K Chandrasekhara Rao, or KCR, was elected for delivering on his huge promise of getting statehood for Telangana. The other, N Chandrababu Naidu, was elected because people felt he had a vision for the truncated state of Andhra Pradesh, from which Telangana had been carved out, and could work with the Centre to get things done, including building a new capital. But the two men do not get along and are projecting their personal rivalry into a competition between their states.

Will Telangana Party Gain From Wooing Congress In AP?

It is a bit like the Ugadi pachadi for Congress leaders from Telangana. Both sweet and sour. Sour because the parting with the Congress is taking place on a bitter note since the ruling party has taken no positive decision on Telangana. Sweet because changing the party increases their political virility.

K Chandrasekhar Rao, president of the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS), is actually walking the extra mile, reaching out to MPs and MLAs in the Congress who he thinks can be assets for his party in the polls next year. Andhra Pradesh is due to vote for both the Lok Sabha and the Assembly at the same time in April-May 2014.

Given the antipathy towards the Congress in the region, the status of a passenger in KCR’s ambassador car (TRS election symbol) is seen as a passport to reach the destination (read Lok Sabha or the Andhra Pradesh assembly) successfully.

The Game Telangana - Defying All Logics

“In politics nothing happens by accident. If it happens, you can bet it was planned in that way”.

As the above axiom goes, the developments since convening of All Party meeting to the assurance of Congress high-command to its MPs of its decision by one month and the loose talk of Ghulam Nabi Azad etc. were not accidental, they were all meticulously planned. 

And let us introspect on what Azad had said or rather uttered to substantiate the above argument: Azad said there was no specific deadline as such to finalize a decision on Telangana and by such loose utterances, Azad has not only triggered an intensified polarizing united-separate state debate, but also set the party’s agenda for 2014 elections.

It’s another matter whether he should have been making such loaded political statements, especially, when the Home Minister of the country is all set to make the decision on Telangana, to give a chance to hostile elements to latch on to his words to debunk Congress’ stand on Telangana( if there is any).

What is not clear is whether Azad’s comments – which have sparked outrage among Telangana votaries, shell shocked the T-Congress leaders and led to street protests – came off his own bat or forms part of a larger scheme to raise the political temperature. That he made the statement immediately after the meeting with Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other Core Committee member was significant.

Given the leading questions of both Vylar Ravi and Azad thrown at both Seemanadhra and Telangana Congress leaders about their likely performance in the 2014 elections, one is drawn to surmise that the Congress high-command is fretful about its prospects in the 2014 elections and not about the people of the state. 

The focus of all parties, it appears, be it TRS which is successful in confusing the major parties forcing them to commit a series of blunders, TDP which perfected in somersaulting feats on the issue, and the Congress which started and sponsored the whole vicious game, is not on the people but strategies and game-plans to outwit one another. 

Amidst the above game plan, the both the separatists and integrationists among Congress ranks have played their role to perfection as scripted, produced and directed by the party high command whose “Culture or ideology” is neither a “Rightist or Leftist” one. Its survival rests on its ability to adapt itself to the “Centrist, more aptly Neutral politics”.

Therefore, the division of the AP State is an extraordinary challenge to be faced by the congress to prove its credentials to uphold shift to “Positive” politics, a new mantra being advocated by Rahul Gandhi, the newly crowned prince of the Party.

Whatever is going to be scripted and declared on 27/28 January 2013(if at all it decides to make) may follow the above ideological lines?  it is not so simple for the Congress Party to reconcile national security interests with local, sub regional and regional aspirations and interests. Viewed in such a holistic framework, it is a catch-22 crisis situation.

Either the Congress has to shed its neutral politics and the “time would heal the wounds” concept or to take high moral ground of unity and integrity of the nation or abandon it in favour of smaller states – 50 or more. They will be only fooling themselves and the nation if they take one time exception decision on division of the AP State.

Thus, we have now come to the million dollar question:

What is the denouement of the announcement of Azad to further postponement of a decision on Telangana? It doesn’t have one straight reply. It has too many answers and ramifications too. All of them defy the intellectual discourse.

1. It is time for KCR to come out of his hiatus and plan his next moves in a highly reflective fashion.

2. Quite a few among the TRS leaders, including the KCR family members spearheading the movement, are not ignorant to the likelihood of dynamic post declaration alignments/realignments. On formation of Telangana, if congress decides so, many apprehend that the TRS will be left with no other option but to ‘merge’ with the Congress. If that happens, KCR and other leaders of TRS may as well become irrelevant in the eyes of T-region people. In such a scenario, what are the options left for KCR and his TRS? The ‘negative or neutral’ decision by the Congress Party , yet again ‘deceiving’, may become more ‘positive’ than ever for TRS to gain maximum ‘sympathy’ and ‘support’ from the electorate in the 2014 or next round of elections whenever they are held.

3. KCR and his TRS followers are bound to benefit by the “neutral” politics of the Congress High Command, which appears quite likely. Whether KCR choose aggressive path by spearheading violent agitations which may create law and order problem or work his way to win over the people by convincing them to give a fitting reply through ballot, one may have to wait and see. As a seasoned practitioner of agitation politics, it is quite possible that KCR may blow “hot and cold” until the next round of elections. Surely, KCR and T-JAC and other separatist leaders would not like to cross the threshold of equilibrium which may force the face of imposition of “Presidents Rule” inevitability. By adopting such a strategy, all political aspirants would have handful of opportunities to advance ‘politics’ as a real career by getting elected with ‘assured’ if not ‘thumping’ majority in the next round of elections.

4. The Congress retracted on its commitment of one month. For Seemanadhra Congress leaders, it is just a face-saving for now. Their ‘Stall Telangana’ mission is successful at least for now. The claims of the Telangana Congress leaders turned out to be a rhetoric. 

5. It is certainly not a win-win or win-lose situation for the Congress. Any decision is a political gamble for the party. For, separation or not, the party is almost poised to take a severe drubbing in Seemanadhra region. It might stand to gain only if the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) is merged with or at least entered into an electoral truck with the Congress. Even then, the possibility of disappointed aspirants of party tickets of both TRS and the Congress might side with an alternate party and in this case, it could be even YSR Congress.

6. The TDP, which handed over a letter claiming that it had not gone back on its earlier letter given to Pranab Mukherjee panel in 2008, must be heaving a sigh of relief today. For, it could still claim in the high streets of Telangana that it was in favour of the separation of the State wearing its heart on its sleeve. It could also sport a smile on its face and communicate what it wants with the wink of an eye to the people of Seemanadhra region. A deft political move, indeed.

7. For now, Telangana Congress leaders are crestfallen and are hanging their heads in shame.  

8. The YSR Congress, two of whose legislators had offered to resign in favour of united Andhra Pradesh, too can relax for now and concentrate on fighting its legal battles on behalf of its incarcerated president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy. 

In sum, the post 28 January, 2013 declaration, if any, is all set to defy all the intellectual logic with all political actors involved in the ”game Telangana” obdurately sticking to their positions and postures.

Is Mid-term poll likely in Telangana?

Will Telangana face mid-term polls next year? 

This is the question which is making rounds in the ruling TRS circles. Sources close to CM did not rule out the possibility of midterm polls in 2018. They are avoiding saying anything openly. Sources indicated that KCR has made up his mind to go for Assembly polls without waiting for the general elections of 2019.Those who are close to CM have hinted that Mr. KCR is in favour of midterm polls presenting his son, Mr. KTR as the next CM. KCR wants to grab power before BJP and other opposition parties get stabilized in the State.

Telangana Turmoil: Does Modi Want KCR To Dump Cong?

By Usha Revelli / Hyderabad

The Telangana Rashtra Samiti, it appears, has decided to prove the skeptics right. When the Congress Working Committee and subsequently the Union Cabinet approved bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, the subdued reaction of the TRS, whose very inception is rooted in the Telangana statehood cause, raised eyebrows. Naturally, people declared that the TRS was a party for the process, not for the product.

Now, as the Government seems to be moving quickly on the state’s proposed bifurcation, the TRS is coming up with outlandish demands that seem to want further complication rather than closure on the issue. And the party once again stokes the feeling that TRS will throw a spanner in the Centre’s works, just for its own survival. 

KCR Blames Nizam’s Rule For Backwardness Of Telangana

By Mohd Bilaal in Hyderabad

Muslim minority is anxious about the difference in claims and actions of the Telangana chief minister KCR in respect of its development. KCR is famous for his political acumen, revolutionary temperament and to respond in his own style to his opponents but the dual stand taken by him in respect of Muslim minority raises doubts about his intentions. He has applauded the Govt. of Nizam on various occasions but is he opposed to Nizam in writing is a question.

It is reported that in the report sent to World Bank, the major cause of backwardness of Telangana region has been associated with Nizam’s period. According to a report published in a vernacular newspaper, poverty in 5 districts of Telangana has been indicated. 

‍‍Why ‍'Political Bazaar' Getting 'Hot' In Telangana?

Telangana people are quite surprised upon heating up the political activities in the state for a by-election in Huzurabad to dominates the supremacy over one and other political parties poll-strategies and electioneering tactics.

As #KhabarLive analyzed the entire situation, reveal the political supermacy dominates the major political parties. Its still more than two years for Assembly elections in Telangana but the series of yatras, rallies and meetings by the political parties have created a poll-like atmosphere in the state.

A series of developments and hectic activity by all major political players has increased the political temperature in the state, where elections are due towards the end of 2023.

Opposition parties are vying with each other in targeting Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) for its failures even as Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao himself is leading the counter-attack from the ruling party by rolling out a slew of schemes.

With the by-election to the Huzurabad Assembly seat likely to be held soon, both the ruling and opposition parties are going all out to woo the voters. By announcing 'Dalit Bandhu' and an insurance scheme for weavers and by luring some top leaders of the Congress, BJP and TDP into its camp, the TRS is leaving no stone unturned to ensure a victory in Huzurabad.

The by-election has become a battle of prestige for the TRS as Eatala Rajender, who was dropped from the State Cabinet in May following allegations of land grabbing, will be contesting as the BJP candidate.

As Rajender had been winning the seat since 2009, the BJP is hoping to ride on his popularity in the constituency to deal a blow to the TRS ahead of the next Assembly polls. The leaders of the saffron party hope that a win in Huzurabad will boost its confidence to achieve the goal of coming to power in the country's youngest state.

The recent elevation of G. Kishan Reddy as an independent minister in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's cabinet has boosted the morale of the saffron party, which had set alarm bells ringing in the TRS camp by wresting the Dubbak Assembly seat and by putting up an impressive performance in the elections to the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) last year.

While returning to his home state after his elevation, union minister for tourism and culture Kishan Reddy mounted a scathing attack on TRS by undertaking a Jana Ashirwada Yatra from August 19. He slammed KCR and his family, for what he called massive corruption and for pushing the state into a debt trap.

Kishan Reddy's three-day yatra covered 305 kilometres across eight Parliament segments and 17 Assembly constituencies including Huzurabad.

The BJP is looking to mount further pressure on the ruling party as its state chief Bandi Sanjay Kumar will be launching a 'Praja Sangrama Yatra' from August 24.

The party says the walkathon, to begin from Bhagyalakshmi Temple at Charminar, is aimed at making citizens aware of the 'corrupt and dictatorial' family rule of KCR.

Sanjay, who is also the MP from Karimnagar, said the main objective of his walkathon is to enthuse the people to protest against the TRS government as it has failed to justify the reasons for which the separate state was formed.

"We need to free Telangana Talli (mother Telangana) from this corrupt family regime which is not at all concerned with people's issues. We have to take the failures of the government to the people at every booth level and understand the people's concerns which would help during our manifesto preparation," he said.

During the yatra, the BJP leader also plans to receive representations from people about the unfulfilled promises of the TRS government and also the complaints about not receiving the benefits under various welfare schemes. The saffron party will forward these representations to the government.

The BJP's central leadership will be keenly following the walkathon, which is expected to set the tone for the Huzurabad bypoll and the next Assembly elections.

The success of Sanjay's yatra will be crucial for the party to bounce back after receiving a jolt in the recent by-election in Nagarjuna Sagar Assembly constituency and the Legislative Council polls from the graduates' constituencies. The saffron party lost the lone Legislative Council seat it was holding and had a disastrous performance in Nagarjuna Sagar, where its candidate forfeited the deposit.

A rejuvenated Congress party has also stepped up its activities. With A. Revanth Reddy taking over as the president of the party's state unit last month, it has become aggressive in taking up various issues and targeting the TRS government over what it called its unfulfilled promises and failures.

During the last few days, Revanth Reddy led two major public meetings as part of its Dalita Girijana Atma Gaurava Dandora (Movement for SC/ST self-respect). Through this statewide campaign, the party is trying to woo Dalits and tribals by highlighting how the TRS government neglected them during the last seven years.

The Congress is upbeat over the huge public response it received at its meetings at Indravelli in Adilabad district and at Raviryala on the outskirts of Hyderabad. It is now planning to organise a third public meeting in Gajwel, the constituency represented by KCR.

The Congress, like the BJP, is also targeting KCR for announcing 'Dalit Bandhu' only to garner the votes of Dalits in the Huzurabad bypoll. "After the by-election, KCR will again forget Dalits. Why is he not implementing Dalit Bandhu across the state, why only in Huzurabad," asked Revanth Reddy.

The TPCC chief also recalled that KCR did not fulfil his promises of installing a 125-feet Ambedkar statue in Hyderabad, three acres of land to each landless Dalit family, KG to PG free education and a job to every household.
Buoyed by the huge public response to its meetings, the state Congress leadership has decided to invite party leader Rahul Gandhi to a series of public meetings in the run up to the 2023 Assembly elections.

Rahul Gandhi is likely to address a public meeting in Warangal next month as part of Dalita Girijana Atma Gaurava Dandora. The party is planning the meet as a massive show of strength before the Huzurabad bypoll.

The Congress party has started the groundwork for the next Assembly polls. Manickam Tagore, AICC in-charge of Telangana, held a review meeting with party leaders in Nagarkurnool parliamentary constituency on August 20 and directed all party leaders and those who unsuccessfully contested the 2018 and 2019 polls to start working in their respective constituencies by meeting the people.

"Talk to voters, spend time with them, list their problems and find out what they have to say about the unfulfilled promises of the TRS and BJP governments in the state and at the Centre respectively," he said.
Claiming that the political situation in the state is turning in favour of the Congress, Revanth Reddy said the party is certain to win at least 72 of the 119 constituencies in the elections to the Assembly whenever they are held.

The newly formed YSR Telangana Party (YSRTP) led by Y S Sharmila has also launched its activities, adding to the political buzz in the state. The sister of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy is undertaking a fast every week over the issue of unemployment. After calling on the families of unemployed people who committed suicide, she sits on a day-long fast every Tuesday. She is demanding that the government fulfil its promise of filling all vacancies in various departments and providing jobs to all.

Three days ago she also staged a protest in Mulugu district over the issue of podu lands or the lands tilled by tribals. She accused KCR of cheating tribals by not fulfilling his earlier promise to resolve the podu lands issue. She assured her party's support to tribals, demanding that the government give them ownership right of podu lands.

Amid the stepped up activity by the opposition parties, Chief Minister KCR visited Huzurabad constituency on August 16, launched his ambitious scheme 'Dalit Bandhu' and addressed a huge public meeting. The scheme was launched on a pilot basis in Huzurabad and he promised that all Dalit families in the state will receive benefits under the scheme. Every Dalit family will get a Rs 10 lakh grant under the scheme to start a business of its choice, he said. Hitting back at his political rivals, KCR asked why their governments in the states or at the Centre never thought of designing a scheme to empower Dalits.

The politics over Dalits in the state took an interesting turn this month when former IPS officer R. S. Praveen Kumar joined the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). Kumar, who held the rank of Additional Director General of Police, took voluntary retirement last month. The officer urged Dalits to become rulers and not slaves. He joined the BSP at a massive public meeting at Nalgonda on August 8. On Dalit Bandhu, he said that the scheme was a constitutional right and not anybody's charity.

He told KCR that the money he was spending on the scheme was what weaker sections had earned by tilling the land. "If you have any love for Dalits, spend your money on them," he said. #KhabarLive #hydnews

KCR And Naidu Fight Over 'Delhi Advisory' To Govt Control

By Newscop
Group Managing Editor

Reports that Telangana and Andhra Pradesh's governor ESL Narasimhan received a go-ahead for taking charge of law and order in the city as per provisions of Section 8 in the AP Reorganization Act kicked off a storm of protests with several TRS leaders flatly rejecting any such condition. 

Chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) meanwhile met the governor and informed him that any move to invoke (governor's) powers under Section 8 will be opposed by the state Cabinet.

Narasimhan told KCR he has not received any communication from the Centre regarding Section 8. Later in the day , state BJP president G Kishan Reddy said there was no truth in media reports that the controversial section is to be implemented.

Spotlight: Cash For Vote: Will Leaked Tapes Prove To Be Tipping Point For AP CM Chandrababu Naidu?

The Andhra CM's claims of a clean image are in tatters, his promise of being pro-farmer has been proven to be a lie and his stock is falling in Telangana and at the centre as well.

It should have been a good year for Chandrababu Naidu. Having won the 2014 state elections in the truncated state of Andhra Pradesh, he was back in power after a decade in opposition.

Is Telangana CM KCR Redrawing New State's District Boundaries To Fix His Political Opponents?

By M H AHSSAN | INNLIVE
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There’s criticism that the state's 14 new districts are being decided on the Telangana chief minister’s whims instead of on a scientific study.

Two years after being carved out of united Andhra Pradesh, Telangana is feeling division pangs once again.

On Friday, a highway blockade that was started by people agitating for a separate district in Telangana got out of hand when the protestors, realising that their demands may not be met, damaged two buses and set one on fire.