Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) has stepped up its attack on Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) with its working president and state minister K. T. Rama Rao alleging that the saffron party is conspiring to create law and order problems in the state.
A series of bitter attacks by Rama Rao, considered heir apparent to his father and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, has triggered speculation in the political circles as to what provoked him.
The onslaught by both KCR and KTR, as the father son duo are popularly known, appears to be related to by-election to Dubbak Assembly constituency scheduled for Tuesday.
Both stayed away from the TRS campaign in Dubbak, hinting that the party does not attach much significance to its rivals, the Congress and the BJP. Confident of retaining the seat with a massive margin, KCR entrusted the task to his nephew and finance minister T. Harish Rao.
When Harish Rao was already training his guns on the BJP during the campaign, KTR's outburst baffled everyone.
The suave leader not only hit out at the state BJP leadership for claiming that their government at the Centre is funding the welfare schemes being implemented by TRS government but also lashed out at the Narendra Modi government for what he called pushing the economy from 'slowdown to lockdown'.
He alleged that the projected zero per cent growth rate is due to the BJP's failure to manage the economy. KTR said that while the economy witnessed the slowdown for eight quarters before the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, the BJP government successfully pushed it to a lockdown.
He also reminded the BJP of its promises of 2 crore jobs a year, Rs15 lakh in each bank account and housing for all.
He even remarked that BJP makes promises, mismanages and then blames others through its 'WhatsApp University'.
His apparent provocation was the bitter attacks by state BJP leaders on TRS after seizure of cash from a relative of the BJP candidate in Dubbak. The saffron had alleged that the police planted the money at the instance of TRS.
For the last five days, KTR used every opportunity to slam the BJP. A young leader who is quite popular on social media, KTR mounted a fresh attack on BJP government at the Centre with a series of tweets on Sunday.
He said that what the Centre released to the state during the last six years is only half of what the state contributed to the Centre in the form of taxes.
He highlighted the growth rate of Telangana, its achievements on various parameters including growth in per capita income and commented that Telangana continues to be a pillar of strength for India.
Hours later, he addressed a press conference to make a sensational allegation that BJP is trying to incite violence in Hyderabad to gain sympathy in Dubbak by-elections.
Continuing the diatribe on Monday, KTR alleged that the BJP is trying to vitiate the peace and communal harmony prevailing in Telangana.
Speaking at a meeting after welcoming a BJP leader into TRS, the minister claimed that all sections of people are distancing themselves from BJP. "The people are looking at leaders like KCR," he said.
KCR also blasted BJP for its claims over central funds to the state. He offered to resign and walk away if the BJP claims that the Centre contributed Rs.1,600 out of the total Rs.2,106 per month paid to social security pensioners in the state was proved right.
Political analysts say the series of attacks are calculated move by the TRS leadership to counter BJP, which is projecting itself as a viable alternative to TRS. The campaign in Dubbak by-elections provided another opportunity to BJP leadership to up the ante.
"BJP for now has limited vote bank in Telangana, including in Hyderabad. However, the saffron party's aim is to position themselves as a viable alternative to the ruling TRS. Dubbak elections, and the drama surrounding it, is being used as a test case by BJP state leadership; and this was expected since elevation of Bandi Sanjay to the post of party chief in the state," said analyst P. Raghavendra Reddy.
He believes that while the TRS candidate might win in Dubbak, the BJP will be used its vote percentage to claim the party's acceptance among the people.
After its record performance in 2019 Lok Sabha elections when it won four seats in Telangana, BJP is hopeful of strengthening itself to emerged as a strong force and an alternative to TRS in 2023 elections.
