Monday, September 29, 2008

One-man crusade for Telengana


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Former-UPA minister plans to expose the party in Andhra for leading them the garden path


When Congress’s allies were squabbling to get into the UPA Ministry after the NDA coalition had been surprised in the 2004 General Elections, there was only one ally who was willing to accommodate the interests of the coalition at the cost of self: chief of the Telengana Rashtriya Samiti (TRS), K.Chandrasekhar Rao. Rao, who had already been allotted a portfolio, backed out of the proposed Union Cabinet after allocation of ministries became a problem, saying interests of a separate Telengana were more important, as far as he was concerned.

Last week, Chandrashekhar proved he was as good as his word. He along with three of his other colleagues in the Lok Sabha resigned from its membership, saying their demand for a separate state had been ignored for nearly four years. “We will expose the Congress for leading us the garden path, by making false promises of a separate statehood. We will sound the death knell for the Congress in Andhra Pradesh this time around,” threatened Rao, normally a mild-mannered and reticent man. Rao’s threat is not to be taken lightly. While most politicians merely hold out resignation threats, the TRS chief is serious about taking them to their logical conclusion. In addition to his four MPs (including himself) quitting, 26 MLAs and 5 MLCs quit the Andhra Pradesh assembly on Tuesday to pressurize the Congress to concede their demand for a separate state. Rao and the TRS are, understandably, seething in rage. When the campaign to oust Chandrababu Naidu government led by the Congress gained ground in 2002-2003, TRS was its principal ally. Rao personally led some of his team members into tying up with the Congress, purely on the grounds that the party had supported the Telengana cause.

For the first couple of years, Chandrashekhar Rao held the hope that the Congress would honour its promise for separate statehood. But when it became clear without a shadow of doubt that there was no question of any Congress support, Rao has decided to adopt a hard line. Rao told B&E: “When the Congress was in opposition, 42 of its members, who are now ministers, pledged that Telengana would be created. Now all of them have backed out.” The 47-year-old Rao, who was elected four times to the state assembly from his home constituency of Siddipet in Medak district, quit the deputy speaker’s post, his membership of the assembly and the ruling Telugu Desam Party to revive the Telangana movement. Rao, who began his political career with the Congress as a student leader, has served as minister in the governments of the late TDP founder, N T Rama Rao, & then N Chandrababu Naidu.

He, however, wants to avoid the pitfalls that had prevented the people from achieving their goal of a separate Telangana during 1969-71. “ I have a one-point programme and a single goal -- achieving statehood for Telangana. I am not interested in garnering the support of legislators since I am not here for grabbing power,” Rao asserts. By the looks of it then, he is playing for higher stakes than mere ministries or departments.

B&E edit bureau: Ranjit Bhushan

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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