Opinion: Modi, KCR target each other, but don't take names

Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) supremo and Chief Minister, K Chandrasekar Rao, (KCR) isn't taking it lying down. With battle lines drawn clearly between the TRS and the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Telangana CM, who created the Frankenstein-like monster out of the 'political midget', the BJP's state unit, to checkmate the main rival, the Congress, under its State unit chief A Revanth Reddy, is now facing stiff opposition from the BJP it self. For, the 'purported midget' grew into a behemoth.

Now, none other than the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, himself has bolstered the confidence of the rank and file of the BJP by joining the anti-KCR chorus and asserting that the BJP would win Telangana. Obliquely referring to KCR, Modi on Thursday launched a scathing attack on the family rule, while addressing the BJP ranks at Begumpet airport, before going to ISB to address the convocation.

Modi is the third in a row and the top-most man among the helmsmen in the BJP to visit Telangana in quick succession - just in a month. Without taking the name of KCR and his clan, Modi described 'pariwarwadi' parties as detrimental to democracy. This, however, is akin to a beaten track that may hardly impress the electors.

The top echelons of the BJP, including its president JP Nadda and Home Minister Amit Shah had visited the State and participated in the padayatra of State unit president Bandi Sanjay Kumar. Amit Shah had said that the BJP, if voted to power, would scrap reservations of minorities. He had described KCR as a leader under the influence of All India Majlis-e-Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi.

Bravado or Bandi Sanjay

Bandi Sanjay, who was emboldened by the courage bestowed by the top brass of his party, said on Wednesday that all mosques would be dug up in Telangana and if they found mausoleums, the structures belonged to Muslims and if they found Shiv Ling, the land belonged to Hindu temples.

The bravado demonstrated by Kumar is, in deed, in a bad taste, if not ominous.

For, such parochial and provocative remarks by any leader of his stature would surely affect the peace and amity of the state. The TRS has always highlighted its governance, ensuring peace in the State ever since it took over the reins of the newly formed State in 2014.

Ever since he fell apart with the BJP politically some three years ago, KCR has been accelerating his trenchant criticism of the Modi Regime time and again.

The clash of titans

The face-off between the PM and the CM began with the latter refusing to welcome Modi when he had visited Hyderabad to inaugurate the Statue of Equality (Vaishnavite guru Ramanujacharya) and staying away from the PM's schedule entirely some two months ago.

KCR has been on a mission of meeting several regional satraps to cobble up support to put up a united fight against the Congress and the BJP, while propagating a National Agenda. KCR has been talking about how India's development was jettisoned by national political parties in the last seven decades.

How does he want to cement the relations amongst the diverse partners is an interesting thing to be watched, for such plastic unity has never stayed cohesive.

Many an experiment had flopped quickly and coalitions petered out. But, surely KCR is giving sleepless nights to the BJP just before the nation's Presidential elections. The man doesn't relent, though he doesn't put across his agenda vocally. The visceral hatred of the BJP towards anyone who defies it is now the 'invisible adhesive' KCR is apparently using to glue the anti-BJP parties together.

KCR hints at sensational news

Advantage with KCR is that he doesn't hesitate to correct his course, if his plans don't yield the desired results. He is flexible. For Modi and others, this is a weakness which KCR wants to capitalise on. But will he be able to stitch a broad coalition is still too very nascent.

But, KCR did sound confident. Though one cannot say he's brimming with confidence, KCR indeed asserted that he would give a "sensational news" in two to three months. "It's immaterial as to who would form the Government in Delhi. Is it the Congress or the BJP or anybody else. But, surely I am confident that India is gearing up for a big change. A historic change in that. People are yearning for this much-needed metamorphosis, for China, which became independent along with India, is now a16-trillion-dollar economy, while India is still being shown a dream of just a 5-trillion-dollar economy.

India, as a matter of fact, has the potential to overtake even the US, as it has the necessary human capital and intelligence."

KCR's meetings with several leaders like Sharad Pawar, Uddhav Thackeray, Deve Gowda, HD Kumaraswamy, MK Stalin, and hopes of cordial relations with Mamata Banerjee will surely translate into an effort to put up a united fight against the BJP in the upcoming Presidential elections. But, will he lead from the front? It's not easy to guess, given the quaint ways of KCR who could pull a proverbial rabbit out of the magical hat.

However, KCR is leaving every one guessing as to what would be his real strategic move in hankering for a national political role. And, will he use the presidential polls for perching him in a pole position is still not clear.

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