Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu are waiting for the Karnataka Assembly election results as they expect political developments at national level to change thereafter.
While Mr Chandrasekhar Rao has stopped criticising the BJP for time being, Mr Naidu is continuing his fight against the BJP accusing it of reneging on its promise to grant special category status to Andhra Pradesh.
It appears that Mr Naidu is more worried about Karnataka results than Mr Chandrasekhar Rao. Both the CMs are expecting the impact of Karnataka results on southern states, especially in TS and AP.
In fact in both Telangana and AP, the BJP is not strong enough to come to power. However, it has influence in some constituencies to change the results. So both CMs are likely to finalise their political strategies after the Karnataka results.
A senior TRS leader said “the RSS has directed the BJP to go for early elections to Lok Sabha irrespective of Karnataka results.”
Accordingly Prime Minister Narendra Modi may take a decision on early elections after the Karnataka results. If the early elections are held for the Lok Sabha, both Telugu CMs will have to change their political strategies accordingly.
Telugu Desam leaders, meanwhile, expect the Central government to target Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, his son Nara Lokesh and some ministers after the Karnataka elections.
Mr Naidu himself had expressed his fear of the BJP implicating in cases. AP BJP leaders have also levelled several allegation against the TD government particularly on the Pattiseema Project.
A senior Minister in the Naidu Cabinet said that the Central government is preparing ground for a CBI enquiry on the Pattiseema project as a part of its witch-hunt against Mr Naidu. But a senior IAS officer said that the Central government has no right to order CBI enquiry on its own on any issue of the states. It can do so only on the directions of a court or on a request from the state government.
