Rama Krishna Sangem
Telangana Chief Minister and TRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) stayed away from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting on G-20 leadership in Delhi on December 5, Monday. This meeting is to chalk out year long activities of the Central government as part of India leading G-20 countries, till November 30, 2023. Some opposition leaders like Bengal CM Mamata attended the meeting. But, KCR kept himself away from it.
This tough stand of KCR reflects his decision to hit hard at Modi led BJP which is trying to expand, if not come to power, in Telangana in 2023 November assembly elections. It is not still clear what stand KCR will adopt in the upcoming Parliament winter session that begins December 7, Wednesday. It is likely that TRS may boycott the session as a protest against BJP’s framing of unfounded cases against TRS leaders through ED and CBI, of late.
KCR’s firebrand speech at Mahabubnagar on December 4, Sunday shows that he is not in a mood to relent in his fight against BJP led Centre. He claimed that Telangana had lost Rs 3 lakh crore, due to inefficient Modi led Centre in the last few years. “The GDP should have grown to Rs 14 lakh crore plus, instead of Rs 11 lakh crore now,” said KCR to a well attended public meeting in Mahabubnagar.
KCR, in fact, has toughened his fight against BJP since before Munugode assembly by-election on November 3. Here, TRS won by a comfortable margin of over 10,350 votes defeating BJP. Congress ended up poor third and lost deposit. BJP which hoped to repeat Huzurabad by-election where it won last year, suffered a political jolt. BJP national leaders estimated that in Munugode, they will win easily, setting tone for 2023 assembly elections.
But, KCR shocked them through his intense strategizing and political focus. KCR’s win in Munugode helped boosting morale of TRS leaders while demoralizing those of BJP. Otherwise, there would have been defections from TRS. It is a known fact that BJP in Telangana is not yet a strong force. The party mostly depends on the image of PM Modi to come to power. Local leaders including Union Minister Kishan Reddy have limited appeal.
The BJP has increased raids by CBI and ED on TRS ministers, MPs and other senior leaders under corruption cases. These cases might mostly affect the financial sources of the ruling TRS, in the coming elections. To counter the central agencies, KCR has ordered a SIT (Special Investigation Team) probe by Telangana police into BJP’s plans to poach TRS MLAs, four of them three months ago. BJP national general secretary BL Santosh is named in the case.
Kavitha’s legal & political challenges
TRS MLC and KCR’s daughter K Kavitha’s name has been dragged into Delhi liquor scam by the central agencies, ED and CBI. CBI has issued a notice to Kavita under Section 160 of CrPC as a witness to record her statement in the case involving some Aam Admi Party leaders in Delhi. This case is booked based on the complaint lodged by union home secretary to CBI.
Kavitha who agreed to meet a CBI team at her Hyderabad residence next week wanted copies of the original complaint of the home secretary as well as that of CBI’s FIR. She is not named in the FIR. This shows that TRS leadership has taken a stand to take on the BJP led Centre’s plans to implicate her in the liquor scam. Now the CBI will have to prove conclusively her links to the scam.
CBI has to establish Malafide (wrong intentions) and Mens Rea (Guilty conscience) against her in the case. Otherwise, she will emerge innocent. This is a legal aspect of the case. More than this, TRS will fight politically BJP and the Centre to show that the charges are motivated. Bengal CM Mamata couldn’t do this to counter the Central agencies raids against TMC leaders a few months ago.
But, KCR wants to reply the BJP led Centre in the same coin – legally and politically. He knows that coming assembly elections are not easy to win like in Munugode by-poll. That’s the reason he wants to ready his ministers and MLAs face the polls, a year away from now. BJP leaders are clueless what to do, if elections are advanced by next summer. A politically aggressive CM KCR is too much for them to handle, as of now.
