When K Chandrasekhar Rao floated the idea of a non-BJP, non-Congress Federal Front in March 2018, most dismissed it as an effort to marginalise the Congress in order to help Narendra Modi return to power. But Team KCR was confident that a strong show in Telangana and the chief minister’s behind-the-scenes networking with regional chieftains would enable him to convert his idea into reality.
KCR’s supporters even spoke of a CM to PM promotion for the Telangana leader in the event of a hung verdict. “If Deve Gowda with few MPs could become PM in 1996, why can’t KCR” went the argument. Placards promoting the #KCRforPM slogan were displayed even during KCR’s public meetings in Telangana in April.
A year later, leaders of a political party who were initially lukewarm to KCR, are now endorsing the KCR-for-PM pitch in private conversations. Interestingly this comes even as Sharad Pawar spoke of Mamata Banerjee, Mayawati and Chandrababu Naidu as top contenders for the PM’s post in a non-NDA formation.
Leaders of this party say they would not prefer either Mayawati or Mamata as both are perceived as “difficult to deal with”. They would have been comfortable with Naidu given his experience as an administrator and pro-industry image but most pollsters and analysts are not putting their money on the Telugu Desam chief returning to power in Andhra Pradesh. In such a scenario, it would be difficult for Naidu to put his hand up for the top job.
This party has indicated that if a 1996 kind of situation arises, it would prefer either KCR or Naveen Patnaik for the top job. Interestingly, both are not part of the present anti-BJP formation in the country.
The feeling is that KCR’s stature has gone up after winning a second term in office. The Telangana chief minister is also seen as industry-friendly and with his command over Hindi and Urdu, can communicate effectively with the non-south Indian part of India. Three, he is likely to win 15-16 of the 17 seats in Telangana with his ally, the MIM which makes for an impressive strike rate.
But warming up to KCR is not out of any new-found affection. An intra-regional satrap rivalry of sorts is also playing out which means just like in 1996, no one would want a heavyweight leader with a sizeable chunk of state MPs backing the PM. The argument in backing KCR is that the TRS can at best win 16 seats in Telangana, making him a lightweight at least in terms of numbers in the Lok Sabha. Such a situation, the satraps believe, will make it easier for them to get their way with New Delhi on issues relating to their states.
Irrespective of Naidu or KCR as contenders, there is pressure from the political grouping in the Peninsula as well. The feeling is that between the TRS, YSR Congress, DMK and the JD(S), the south will contribute a significant bloc of lawmakers to the next Lok Sabha. The leaders want to change the perception that the route to Delhi passes through Lucknow and would plump for the next PM to be from south India.
What will go against KCR is the animosity of the Congress towards him. This will be critical if Congress support is necessary for such a Third Front government to survive in office. This is because of the past experience of the Congress with KCR and the present political dynamics in Telangana.
One of the political possibilities discussed just before united Andhra Pradesh was bifurcated in 2014 was that KCR should merge his Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) with the Congress. But KCR did not do it and some Congress managers too created hurdles. Two, he has spared no effort to make Telangana a Congress-mukt state, given the large-scale migration of legislators to the ruling TRS. Three, in September 2018, he used harsh words for Rahul Gandhi, calling him a “buffoon”.
Like Patnaik, KCR will be on the BJP leadership’s speed dial in case the NDA falls short of numbers. His political friendship with Owaisi notwithstanding, the BJP will attempt to woo KCR should it need his MPs to cross the 272 mark in the Lok Sabha. Within the larger Sangh parivaar, there exists a certain comfort level with KCR as he is seen as more Hindu than many BJP leaders when it comes to wearing his religion on his sleeve unapologetically. KCR is known to frequently perform yagnas and pujas and believes in astrology, numerology and Vaastu.
The KCR camp has maintained that he will go to Delhi after 23 May when the results will be announced and tie up with regional chieftains to form a bloc that will have close to 150 MPs. His managers say he is already in touch with Jaganmohan Reddy, Mayawati, Deve Gowda and Akhilesh Yadav.
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