Which is TRS rival? KTR has no clarity!

[Anta Assamey]

Telangana Rashtra Samithi is obviously worried about the growing disgruntlement among the people and has realised that it is going to face a tough time in the next assembly elections.

Though it knows that both the Congress and the BJP are emerging as strong opponents; one of them definitely stands a chance to grab power, it is trying to put up a brave posture to project that there is no strong opposition to fight against it in the next elections.

It was evident from the contradictory comments TRS working president and state IT minister K T Rama Rao made in his interviews to various media houses on Sunday. 

When asked which party is the main rival of the TRS in the coming elections, KTR said in an interview to a local English daily that the Congress would be its main rival as the party has a presence all over the state with strong cadre. 

He declared that the BJP can never win the elections in Telangana. He, however, defended the party’s latest aggressive attack on the BJP only because it is dangerous to the country as it is dividing the people on communal lines and the Modi government adopting anti-people policies at the Centre.

In another interview to another English daily, KTR said the Congress was a dead party which was tried, tested and dusted.

"What sort of a party is the Congress? When they hold a meeting, eight out of the 10 seniors do not attend," he said.

He made a similar comment in an interview with a Telugu daily, stating that the Congress party is like a dead snake and there is no point in beating it again and again.

However, KTR made a strange comment when he encountered a similar question from a Telugu newspaper.

“The main rivals for the TRS in the next elections are: K A Paul and AIMIM,” he said, indicating that the TRS virtually has opposition in the next elections.

He alleged that retired IPS officer R S Praveen Kumar, evangelist K A Paul and YSR Telangana Party chief Y S Sharmila were all trying to split the TRS votes and benefit the BJP.

“They don’t utter a word against the BJP, but criticise the TRS. Does it not indicate whom they are working for?” he asked.