What would the 2019 electoral battle in Telangana look like

Telangana faces a crucial election in 2019 when both the assembly and state goes to polls. The TRS is the ruling party and it would have a big challenge from the Congress which is in the opposition.

The 2014 polls were a cake walk for the TRS which was rewarded by the people for fighting for a separate state. Back in 2014, when this correspondent had asked the people of the state why they did not chose the Congress despite it recommending statehood, they said that they wanted to reward the TRS first. The next chance would be for the Congress they said.

Since 2014 a lot has changed. There have been both praises and brickbats for the KCR led government. The Congress has been rising steadily in the state and the BJP too has thrown its hat in the ring. The BJP never fails to remind the people that it was its state unit that had first passed a resolution demanding a separate state. Further, it was L K Advani who had once famously said in 2009, 'give us power and Telangana will be formed the next day."

2019 will witness a multi-cornered fight in Telangana. There is the Congress, TRS, BJP, TDP and the AIMM. What would make the battle more interesting is that KCR has decided not just to stick to the assembly poll. He has been on a political Yatra trying to stitch up a non-Congress, non-BJP third front. He had even met with the likes of Mayawati, Mamata Banerjee and Deve Gowda whose JD(S) is in an alliance with the Congress in Karnataka.

Going by these combinations, it does not appear as though the battle would be a direct one between the Congress and TRS. The other party TDP would also be a crucial factor in Telangana. The party recently broke away from the NDA and it would be interesting to see if KCR and Chandrababu Naidu, friends turned foes would get together.

Political analysts argue the scenario in Telangana would depend on how alliances are stitched up at the national level. Currently it is all vs the BJP and if this plays out in 2019, then in Telangana, the BJP would have to fight it alone.

For now KCR has made it clear that the Congress would not be an ally. In such an event would he ally with the TDP and AIMM? While it is too early to say what the combinations would be, the battle at Telangana sure promises to be an interesting one n 2019.