With Naidu deciding to stay on longer, TRS invokes Telangana sentiment

Hyderabad, Dec 4: The Telangana battle is on and the fight is between the two chief ministers of the Telugu states. The campaign started out with the TRS targeting the Congress and rightly so as it considers the grand old party as its main rival in Telangana.

However over the days, there has been a gradual shift in the strategy of the TRS. Currently the attack of the TRS is on the Chandrababu Naidu led TDP.

This is almost a repeat of 2014, when elections were held post the bifurcation of the state. In that battle, both Naidu and K Chandrashekar Rao emerged winners. Both went on to become CM's.

The campaign for the TRS began on a different note. It started off with the welfare schemes introduced by the TRS government. However the Congress entered into an alliance with the Telugu Desam Party. Naidu, who was considered to be a non-player in Telangana started taking active interest in the campaign.

What surprised the TRS was that Naidu who had initially stated that he would campaign in the state only for two days, decided to extend the same until the last day. Moreover Naidu was drawing good crowds, which only added to his encouragement and stay on till the last day of the campaign.

With Naidu deciding to hang on longer, the TRS is back to evoking the Telangana sentiment, which was at its peak in 2014. The insider, outsider, settler, non-settler cards are being played. The TRS is trying to tell the voters that if the Congress-TDP go on to win the elections, then Naidu would remote control Telangana from Andhra Pradesh.

To give the TRS more ammunition was a statement issued by Karnataka strongman and Congress leader, D K Shivakumar. He had said that if the Peoples' Front wins the polls, then Rahul Gandhi and Naidu would decide on who the Chief Minister would be.

However Naidu does not appear to be concerned about these developments. How can I rule Telangana from AP. I cannot contest here, I dont have a vote here, he went on to say.