The enduring attraction of politics is its unpredictability. After the tumultuous victory in GHMC polls the politics of Telangana reached a state, which had never been predicted, where it looks as though everything is predictable. There is no viable opposition in the state. The principal opposition party, the T-Congress, is not able to pull its act together. TDP on the verge of extinction. Defections from these parties is the norm. The day is not far off when the opposition in elected bodies from grass-root level to Assembly would disappear. In a state where there is no opposition, technically speaking, till the next election, there should not be anything that is unpredictable. Still the unpredictability is not leaving the politics of KCR and TRS.
KCR’s ability to begin something new every time that could undo the previous action is too well known. Though he waged a heroic battle to get statehood to Telangana, after formation Telangana state, he has conquered electoral Telangana without breaking a sweat. With the decimation of opposition in Warangal Lok Sabha constituency and GHMC, it is difficult for the opposition leaders to come to terms with reality that got changed irrecognizably. For the next three years, there won’t be any threat to the pink party from any political quarters – except in the form of some routine tv ‘bites’ and press statements. Exactly at this point the KCR’s next step becomes terribly unpredictable.
With no opposition in sight and unfettered authority at his command coupled with the rise of son on political horizon- what could be the next major step KCR going to take to make Telangana a most talked about and analyzed input in the media and among the political pundits.
According to one theory – he may follow the footsteps of Farooq Abdullah of Jammu and Kashmir, who appointed his son Omar Abdullah chief minister and joined union cabinet. KCR also may prefer to go to center and join the union government anointing his son K T Ramarao as the chief minister. His joining the centre would help Telangana in getting more funds, more projects and more imporatance. Now there is no cabinet minister from Telangana. The only minister, Bandaru Dattatreya of BJP, is looking after labor department. As a cabinet minister holding some important portfolio he could promote Telangana interests at the centre. As there are no wars to conquer, at least for the next three years, KCR, with his rare insight into politics, can transform himself into a eminent national leader from South India, which in recent past has not seen any great union cabinet minister. Already, at home Ramarao is performing the responsibilities of the chief minister- he is receiving diplomats. Corporate bosses have already started meeting him when in Hyderabad. The talk now is that he is going take Industry department from Jupally Krishnarao and give him Panachayat Raj department, of course, minus water grid, in return.
As such KCR has no major work to do here in Telangana. It was once his dream to remain at centre and play crucial role in national politics. This he had shared with some friends when Sonia Gandhi, as UPA chairperson, assured him that his T-dream would soon become a reality. Taking blessings from Sonia Gandh on his birthday , Rao, then union labor minister, returned to Tuglaq Road residence and announced to some friends waiting in his office. ” Telangana is getting statehood. Sonia Gandhi told me her determination. Once separate state is formed, I would have no work there. I would remain n in New Delhi and play my role in national politics,” was the statement of KCR. So, now same context has been created. Would he think of going to centre leaving the state to KTR? If so when – During NDA regime or after 2019 ?
