By: J R Janumpalli
Telangana region has become a turning wicket for political parties. The municipal, local body and the general elections in tandem have created an ambience like the T-20, ODI and test matches of cricket played one after the other. As these three types of cricket lend different trajectory and turn to the bat and ball on the same wicket, the results of these elections in the same region coming one after the other are also providing a great deviation of spin and flight. The municipal elections turned in favor of Congress. The local body elections have provided a topsy-turvy tie-up like situation. We don’t know what is in store for the test match like general elections. It is expected to spin prodigiously in favor of TRS the party which made 58 years elusive Telangana State possible.
Generally for the elections conducted at shorter intervals the trends in the earlier elections will carry forward more or less similar turns in to the elections followed. But, here in Telangana the situation is turning out to be different. Telangana State creation has given a different trajectory to the politics here. It has also affected seemandhra region also, although the turn is not as much as in Telangana.Telangana has become a crucible of intense political reactions in the two regions of Andhra Pradesh. The congress party in seemandhra,TDP in Telangana are reaching their nadir.TDP had to bargain the alliance of BJP with it to survive in Telangana and to regain power in Seemandhra.BJP was forced to give up certain advantage in Telangana in exchange for the advantage in seemandhra with its tie up with TDP.
Though Congress was instrumental in granting Telangana statehood, its agonizingly long drawn dithering and its clumsy handling of T-Bill resulting in many unconstitutional restrictions on Telangana in the end have not endeared it much with Telangana people.Seemandhra people turned the table on it despite its extravagant freebies in the end as part of the division, because of its inability to control its own party in the region. And mismanaging the whole issue from the beginning, by dragging it to the fag end of the parliament without making any effort to remove the misapprehensions created in them by the motivated propaganda of seemandhra congress and TDP.
Thus the fate of the political parties in A.P.are dictated by the long embroiled Telangana struggle and the emerging new state of Telangana. The political careers of many Congress honchos are on the block, it will be more severe on Andhra side. T-Congress leaders also cannot escape this nemesis. They will be paying for the fatuous politics played on the anguish of Telangana, despite their having many opportunities to come to the rescue of people and help their party and themselves also.
The prodigious change in the turn, swing and spin in municipal, local body and general elections is a corollary to the unfolding of permutations and combinations of political parties and the emergence of new vision on Telangana state on the eve of the general elections. When Municipal elections were held there was no clarity on the combinations of political parties. In the local body elections some outlines of permutations of political parties become visible. By the time of general elections the battle lines were clearly drawn. The BJP-TDP un-holy alliance, the T-Congress arrogant aversion to TRS association has made TRS to leave its ambivalence and go for the war on its own, with a fierce determination. It might prove to be a blessing in disguise.
Unleashing a no holds barred campaign by TRS playing on the minds of Telangana people with a clear cut constituency wise development plan in the new state as against the run of the mill manifestos of Congress and BJP_TDP combine and their lackadaisical commitment to future of Telangana state has caught the imagination of people. This is expected to create an unplayable spin on the prodigiously turning wicket of Telangana, if we have to believe many nonpartisan political analysts and almost all the exit polls. The score card of election results for Telangana on 16th promises to be a thrilling test match win after the tentative results of municipal and local body elections.
Thus these general elections in Telangana to choose a government for the new state of Telangana will be an epoch making event and teach a few political lessons to other parts of the country. If Telangana succeeds in installing a government of Telangana in letter and spirit, as we hope it will be the win for the legitimacy of Telangana cause and the political awakening of Telangana people.
Let us hope and pray that 16th May will swing and spin us to our long cherished victory.