NIZAMABAD: A great politician once said that a difference in opinion—be it on politics, religion or philosophy—should never become the cause for withdrawing from a friend. This sentiment of former US President Thomas Jefferson seems to echo in the present-day politics of Telangana. An old friendship between TRS supremo K Chandrasekhar Rao and a senior TDP leader who had announced his retirement from electoral politics is likely to get a bittersweet flavour this election season.
Mandava Venkateshwara Rao’s friendship with KCR goes back to the time when the latter was also in the yellow party. For 25 long years, the duo shared their views with each other -- on politics, economics, development, and most importantly, Telangana movement. In the meantime, their political life took both of them in separate paths. Mandava retired from electoral politics but maintained his ties with TDP while KCR went on to lead an anti-TDP front which resulted in the birth of the new State.
Things took a complete turn this week when Mandava announced his return to politics to fight KCR’s ‘political attitude’ that he claimed was unfit for democracy. The Dichpally constituency, now known as Nizamabad Rural, was Mandava’s stronghold during his active political career. A true loyalist, Mandava also followed his party through all its alliance journeys -- whether it was with TRS in 2009, BJP in 2014 or now the Congress in 2018.
Despite his Andhra origins, and being called a “settler” during the 2014 polls, Mandava was a supporter of the Telangana movement. After bifurcation in 2014, he announced retirement from politics to focus on social work. A few years back, Chandrababu Naidu formed separate committees for the Telugu States to formulate poll strategy, and Mandava was coerced into leading the Telangana unit. Although Mandava has never fought an election in a long time, and is neither planning to do so now, his speech at the meeting will change how TRS looks at him.
“When I was an MLA, even the radicals were not disrupted from giving an opinion. But now even the opposition parties do not have the permission to organise protests or raise their flags,” he said. It was KCR’s role in current politics that has forced Mandava to pick up the mic and rally for his party once again, he said.“I believe politics and friendship should be separate,” he said. Every election sees a new political rival but friendships continue forever, he added.