Eye on 2019 Elections, Congress Looks to Ally With TDP in Telangana

Hyderabad: Changing political equations at the state level seem to be the flavour of the season ahead of the 2019 elections. The latest to join the bandwagon is the Telangana Congress, which has hinted at a possible alliance with the Telangana Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in the next state polls.

Speaking to CNN-News18, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee president Uttam Kumar Reddy indicated that the party was open for alliances with other regional parties in the state to defeat the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS).

“In the near future, Congress can consider an alliance with the Left parties, Telangana Jana Samithi, the new party floated by professor Kodandram and even the TDP. The leadership will take the final decision,” Reddy said.

Given the significant presence of Andhra voters in Hyderabad and the strong grassroots cadre in many pockets in Telangana, the TDP has become a crucial player in the state.

In 2014, the party won 15 assembly seats and one Lok sabha seat, despite the issue of bifurcation. Be it the Congress or the ruling TRS, allying with the TDP will give the parties an edge.

TDP chief and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu had recently predicted that the Karnataka results would be repeated in Telangana in the upcoming 2019 elections, indicating that the TDP would emerge as the “kingmaker” in the state.

The party leadership is yet to decide its strategy for Telangana but has not ruled out possibilities of an alliance.

The TRS and the TDP are known to be cordial with each other. Both Chandrababu Naidu and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao are tall leaders of the emerging Federal Front and can play a key role in bringing different political parties together ahead of the 2019 elections.

Rejecting speculations that KCR was missing from the united show put up by the regional parties, Naidu told News18, “We all are working together.”

On the other hand, the TDP and the Congress were also seen sharing the stage at Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy’s oath-taking ceremony, which was a show of strength for the united opposition.

The Telangana TDP is at present focusing on strengthening the party in the state. Sources said any alliance, whether pre- or post-poll, would be considered close to the elections. “We cannot say anything about the alliances and how they will happen. But nothing is ruled out, everything is possible,” Naidu had said.