Rattled by the quick dissolution of the Assembly and early election decision announced by Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR), Opposition parties led by the Congress are desperately trying to stitch together a strong united front.

KCR announcing 105 of the 119 candidates to fight on the TRS banner has caught the Opposition further by surprise.

While, the Congress, BJP and TDP put up a brave front, insisting that they are prepared for early elections, the reality is that these parties are yet to get their act together.

They are now working at a feverish pace. Uttam Kumar Reddy, chief of the Telangana Congress, which is the main rival marked out by KCR, has expressed the party’s willingness to forge an alliance with the TDP.

Other parties in the fray include the CPI, CPI(M), Pawan Kalyan-led Jana Sena Party, the political outfit promoted by M Kodandaram of the Joint Action Committee, BSP, YSR Congress Party and other outfits that participated in the Telangana agitation. A Congress, TDP, CPI, BSP, Kodandaram party ‘ khatbandhan’ (alliance) could be among the few feasible options for the Opposition to take on the might of KCR.

Tough fight

In the 2014 elections, the TDP fought in alliance with the BJP, and the two won 15 and five seats respectively.

However, the ‘vote for note’ case on Revanth Reddy, chief of the Telangana TDP, and the alleged involvement of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu in the case impacted the party to an extent. The challenges of building a new capital and handling the YSR Congress, a strong opposition party, also kept Naidu busy in Andhra Pradesh.

Subsequently, the TDP lost a dozen of its legislators including Revanth Reddy and Erabelli Dayakar Rao and, by the end of 2017, the party’s presence in the Telangana Assembly was reduced to just three seats.

While the MLAs defected, they were not followed by a significant number of workers. Further, since no by-elections were held, a test of strength has not happened. This leaves the TDP guessing. Naidu, at a recent party meeting, tried to infuse some confidence among the ranks and signalled an alliance with the Congress with amicable seat-sharing.

The Congress, meanwhile, is going the distance to bring into its fold organisations such as Telangana NGOs, civil society groups, student bodies and worker unions. The aim is to forge a common front, said Madhu Yaski, AICC Secretary and a former MP.

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