Rama Krishna Sangem
TRS supremo and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) will work with his Bihar counterpart Nitish Kumar and his deputy Tejashwi Yadav to defeat BJP in the coming 2024 Lok Sabha elections. KCR’s Patna visit on August 31, Wednesday may appear limited in its scope. But, it will definitely pave the way for cooperation at political level between KCR and Nitish.
Already, KCR enjoys personal rapport with RJD leader Tejashwi for the last few years. Now that Nithsh has come out of NDA recently, KCR finds him an important ally in his fight against BJP at the national level. The entry of Nitish into Opposition camp is a boost to KCR as Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee has back-stepped from the camp since recently, after ED raids on some of her party leaders.
KCR chose an official purpose as backdrop of this tour – extending financial help to 5 army martyrs of Galwan clash as well as 12 migrant workers who died in a fire mishap at a timber depot in Secunderabad. KCR at an official function in Patna handed over Rs 10 lakh cheques to kin of each martyred soldiers and Rs 5 lakh cheques to those of the deceased workers.
Telangana Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar’s presence in this tour assumes significance. Somesh hails from Bihar. In fact, Somesh took personal initiative to send safely back home the Bihari migrant workers from Hyderabad during the pandemic by arranging special trains. Somesh also made arrangements for return of these workers once the lockdowns are lifted. This has created some goodwill for KCR in Bihar.
KCR acknowledged the role of Bihar’s workforce in various projects in Telangana. This connection may appear small in its nature, but it has political potential – by mobilsing these workers and their families against BJP in the coming elections. BJP banks on these working class members for building Hindutwa vote bank.
Nitish on his part openly acknowledged that Telangana has done a lot for the Bihar’s migrant workers during the pandemic and stood as an example for other states. Nitish known for his good governance praised KCR for many of his schemes – like irrigation and drinking water supply – and commended his pro-growth push. This helps KCR establish his developmental agenda at the national level.
Bihar contributed a lot for PM Narendra Modi’s huge majority in 2019 LS elections. Of the total 40 MPs in Bihar, BJP which contested in alliance with Nitish’s JDU secured as many as 39 seats – leaving just one to Congress from Kishanganj. This time, it is expected that BJP may suffer hugely due to Nitish leaving NDA and joining RJD and Congress. KCR wants to stop BJP from securing full majority in 2024 elections.
