Ending weeks of speculation, Telangana Chief Minister and TRS President K Chandrasekhara Rao has decided to go for early elections. According to him, the TRS legislators have ‘sacrificed’ eight months of their term to ensure the ‘wheel of growth’ doesn’t come to a halt and the State doesn’t fall into the hands of inefficient leaders.

But the moot question is: why did he chose to squander almost one year of the term? There can be three reasons. First, it’s an attempt to separate the general elections from the elections to the Assembly. Parliament polls are fought on national issues, which can influence the outcome of the elections to the Assembly if simultaneous elections take place.

Second, he must have factored in the dissatisfaction among the unemployed, the government employees and the tenant farmers. A failed kharif would accentuate the problems of farmers. Going to them for votes in the searing summer will not be a good idea. It also seems he wants to cash in on the Rythu Bandhu disbursals of ₹4,000 an acre for the Rabi season later this month for the land-owning farmers.

Third, he wants to outwit the Opposition. While getting the Assembly dissolved, he announced the names of the candidates for 105 out of the 119 seats. By the time the Congress completes the process of finalising the candidates and tackling the dissidents, the TRS candidates would have gained good ground in the campaign.

KCR has also made a significant announcement that TRS will have a ‘friendly’ approach towards MIM, which has sizeable vote bank in several constituencies. The TRS government doesn't want to face a spate of demands from different sections of society ahead of the polls. By going for early polls, he can avoid all that by saying a caretaker government cannot make policy decisions.

Early polls will place a burden on the exchequer. It will keep the focus of the administration away from governance. The ‘wheel of growth’ will be hit, if not halted, for now.

KV KurmanathDeputy Editor

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