Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) leader K T Rama Rao yesterday predicted that the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) will become irrelevant and inconsequential, both in Andhra Pradesh and national politics after the 2019 elections.
He believes other regional parties from Andhra Pradesh might take centre-stage and may have a bigger role to play in Andhra Pradesh and national politics.
Rao was speaking at an event organised by the Hyderabad Press Club a day after he was appointed the TRS working president by his father, party chief and Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao.
KTR, as Rama Rao is popularly known, said the front which TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu was trying to form at the national level was to strengthen his own party while KCR’s proposed Federal Front was aimed at bringing a qualitative change in the country’s polity.
The TRS leader said his party would play a role in Andhra Pradesh politics. “We will definitely have a role in Andhra Pradesh politics. In what form you will see in due course,” he said.
KTR said he wanted a strong regional party to win the elections in Andhra Pradesh.
“People of Andhra Pradesh will decide who is best for them but we will also tell them who is right for them and who can safeguard their interests,” he said.
KTR evaded direct reply when asked if TRS will support YSR Congress Party in Andhra Pradesh. YSR Congress had not contested Telangana elections but backed the TRS.
He was confident that the proposed Federal Front would emerge as an alternative to both the Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress.
“Recent trends show BJP can’t cross 150 Lok Sabha seats and even if Congress doubles its 2014 tally of 44 seats, it can’t cross 90. Even if the two parties come together they can’t form the government. The remaining seats will be with regional parties, who will provide the alternative.”
The TRS leader said Telangana offers a development model to the entire country and the schemes implemented in the state during the last four-and-half years could be replicated across the country.
TRS’ newly-appointed working president K T Rama Rao being greeted by party leaders in Hyderabad yesterday.
