HYDERABAD: “Chandrababu Naidu is a spent force,” declared TRS leader B Vinod Kumar, referring to the Telugu Desam Party chief and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister’s political career. Speaking to the editorial team of Express, Kumar said Naidu is looking towards Delhi as he would soon have no role to play in Andhra Pradesh politics.
When asked why the TRS is not in touch with TDP, while simultaneously courting other regional parties with the hopes of forming a government at the Centre, he said, albeit with a little sarcasm: “We are meeting with leaders of regional parties. But Naidu has himself declared TDP is a national party. Obviously, why would we be speaking to leaders of national parties.”
Kumar also said TRS is not in touch with the Shiv Sena, as its ideology is more or less congruent with that of the Bharatiya Janata Party. With regard to regional parties in neighbouring States, he said both the Janata Dal (Secular) and DMK were ‘friendly’ to TRS.
“During the early days of the Telangana Statehood movement, (JD (S) chief) Deve Gowda attended a massive meeting organised by TRS in Warangal,” he said, speaking about the Karnataka-based party. On DMK, he said in UPA-1, when TRS was allied with Congress, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao had sacrificed the shipping portfolio so the Tamil Nadu-based party could get it instead.
“These good relations will continue with DMK. KCR will soon meet the party’s president MK Stalin,” he said.
Kumar also spoke of the KCR’s recent meeting with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, where they discussed the formation of the next government at the Centre.
‘National status for KLIS’
If TRS has its way, and a Federal Front does form the next government at the Centre, the pink party has made it clear that it would want a bagful of goodies for Telangana. Vinod Kumar said one of the priorities would be getting national project status for the State government’s flagship Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS). Another aim would be to make the Fiscal Responsibility Management Act (FRBM) Act, 2003 ‘more flexible’. He said Telangana would reap all the benefits if a Federal Front comes to power in the Centre. “Like Polavam, the Kaleswaram project will be declared as a national government project,” he said. In order for this to happen, Section 90 of the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014 has to amended, according to which only the Polavaram project has been accorded the national status. Kumar said the Parliament would arrive at a consensus, so that Act may be amended. When asked on the party’s stand on the Women’s Reservation Bill, Vinod said: “Others paid lip service, we will ensure it passes. ”