Hyderabad: Telangana Congress leaders who had been demanding that the TRS merge with the Congress before the polls are now opposed to the idea.
The leaders are of the view that the TRS and Congress should fight independently in the forthcoming general elections. Most Telangana Congress leaders feel that if the TRS merges with the Congress before the next general elections, it will be beneficial for Telugu Desam.
They say that though the TD has a strong cadre base at the grassroots level in Telangana, it has lost people’s support due to its “two eyes”?policy on Telangana. A TRS-Congress merger might also help the BJP at some places, they said.
TRS chief K. Chandrasekhar Rao has also indicated that the party will contest the next general elections independently and there are no plans of merging with the Congress. And Telangana Congress leaders too are on the same page.
In the past, the T-Congress leaders had demanded the TRS-Congress merger for two reasons.
KCR had announced that the TRS would merge with the Congress if it granted a Telangana state. And, as TD also supported a separate Telangana state and had written to the prime minister to that effect, the Telangana Congress leaders felt that the Congress might suffer in a three-way fight between the TRS, TD and the Congress.
The T-Congress leaders say the fight in Telangana was between the TRS and the Congress as the former had fought for a Telangana state and the Congress had granted it.
Telangana Congress leaders also say that in Telangana, there will be no anti-Congress votes, only anti-government votes. Anti-government votes will go to the TRS if both parties fight independently, otherwise it will go to the TD.
TRS leaders also feel the same. If the TRS-Congress merge, many leaders will not get tickets and might contest as rebel candidates or may join the TD or BJP.
