Telangana polls: Why the TRS won’t take the Congress head on

Hyderabad, Oct 8: The K Chandrashekar Rao led Telangana Rashtra Samithi may appear to the winner all the way in the upcoming Telangana Assembly Elections 2018. There is however some trouble ahead of the party which formed the first government in India's youngest state.

Internal surveys have suggested that it would not be advisable for the TRS to take on the grand alliance comprising the Congress, TDP and others head on. While at the first it was believed that the anti-TRS votes would consolidate in favour of the BJP, internal surveys conducted by the parties have suggested otherwise.

A recent survey suggested that the anti-TRS vote would swing in favour of the Congress, Telangana Jana Samithi and the CPI, which are in an alliance. This meant that it was not advisable to take the grand alliance and particularly the Congress head on.

Further the survey also suggested that in a majority of the constituencies, the fight would be a direct one between the grand alliance and the TRS. Hence there is no scope for the BJP to come into the picture and split the votes as the TRS would have hoped.

This led to KCR mooting the idea of a third front comprising caste and social organisations. This would help the TRS bag votes belonging to those from the Backward Classes, SC/ST and minorities. This would also help the TRS retain a large number of the voters who are planning on backing the grand alliance.

The talks to form a third front are being led by caretaker ministers, K T Rama Rao and Harish Rao. They are in talks with various caste and social organisations across the state and have even assured their leaders of a cabinet berth if the party is voted to power.