TRS chief casts his spell on Palamur

VV Balakrishna
First Published : 07 Apr 2009 04:00:00 AM IST
Last Updated : 07 Apr 2009 09:48:42 AM IST

MAHABOOBNAGAR: “I don’t know when he will come. But I will wait. I want to hear him today,” Siva, an agricultural worker, says sipping his hot cup of chai. Seated under the shade of a road-side teastall in Marikal, a dusty village in Mahaboobnagar district, he chats with his friend and this correspondent as we all wait patiently in the hot weather for the arrival of the “messiah.” Siva has been waiting for almost two hours in the sweltering heat.At last, there is some commotion as the Sun goes down and another Son –– Telangana bidda –– TRS chief K Chandrasekhara Rao arrives.

Siva and others like him quickly gather around the T messenger.”Nenu ee Telangana mattilo puttina.

Telangana vasthene, Palamur ku manchi jaruguthadi,” KCR reminds them in his inimitable style. His oratory and rhetoric enthuses the crowd. All their weariness and the strain of long hours of waiting is forgotten in a jiffy. After listening to him, Siva is convinced that the TRS chief alone can deliver a separate State, which he believes, would usher in a sea-change in their lives.

Chandrasekhara Rao with his uncanny sense of worming his way into the hearts of the people is quickly building up a good base in Mahaboobnagar parliamentary constituency which is new to him. Helping him is the fact that voters here always support a new candidate in every election.

“Why shouldn’t we give a chance to a new leader?” asks Ramulu, a farmer, who was among the crowd. Though initially there were fears that KCR may not do well in Mahaboobnagar LS constituency because the separate Telangana movement is pronounced here, the situation is changing with each passing day.

People here are not bothered about criticism that he has migrated to Mahaboobangar unable to face voters in his Karimnagar Lok Sabha constituency since he forced two elections between 2004 and now but did not bring Telangana.

His emotional statements may sound irrelevant to voters in Siddipet and Karimnagar, but such dialogues are touching the hearts of Mahaboonagar voters.

After hearing Rao, who uses the local dialect extensively, Ramanamma, a daily wager, has decided to vote for him this time.

The TRS chief has another advantage in Mahaboobnagar in the form of wellknit Telugu Desam cadres in the constituency.

Chandrasekhara Rao is confident that the Telangana sentiment, his oratorical skills plus the Telugu Desam support would help him win the electoral battle.

Justifying his confidence is Sailu, a traditional TDP voter. She says: “Now, both the parties are together. I will vote for the car this time.” Though, Praja Rajyam and BJP candidates are in the fray, Chandrasekhara Rao’s main rival is Congress sitting MP T Vithal Rao. Though, BJP has some presence, the voters believe KCR not Ramesh Reddy of the BJP can deliver a separate State.

“Of course, I want to see Advani as prime minister. But I will vote for TRS this time for Telangana’s sake,” Boya Ramulu, a hard-core BJP loyalist, says in Makhtal.

Nonetheless, the exuberance one associates with KCR’s campaign is missing here. The atmosphere is not ‘highly charged’ so to speak but several factors other Telangana are helping him. For instance, a large number of Muslims, who are a deciding factor, are keen on supporting Chandrasekhara Rao this time. The reason is not separate Telangana but anti-incumbency against Vittal Rao of the Congress.

“If the fight had been between Congress and the BJP. We would have definitely opted for Congress.

Now, we have an alternative.

A majority of the Muslims will vote for TRS this time,” Abdul Khadar, a vegetable vendor, explains.

Several Muslims too echo similar feelings.

Another factor working in favour of the TRS is that it is the only party that has given the maximum number of tickets to Muslims. The TRS gave Mahaboobnagar Assembly ticket to Ibrahim.

TDP rebel K Dayakar Reddy, who is in the fray against TRS’ M Sridhar Goud in Makthal, also supports Chandrasekhara Rao when it comes to the Lok Sabha LS.

As for his poll promises, he is no less than his friend Chandrababu Naidu. At one place, when voters demanded a degree college in Shadnagar, a junior college in Kundurg and a bus depot in Kodangal, Rao in his typical style, said, “all these works are very small things. I can solve such issues with just a phone call!” Rao explains to voters that he has solved drinking water problem in Siddipet and assures them that he would quench the thirst of Mahaboonagar town in a similar fashion. (Currently, people get piped water once in 15 days).

However, the cautious TRS chief reminds local scribes that though his victory is a foregone conclusion, he is not afraid of losing either.

Even a towering personality like M Chenna Reddy, lost once in Karimnagar after championing the T-cause and NTR too lost in Kalwakurthy.

At public meetings, he says he is contesting from Mahaboonagar at the request of TRS ideologue Jayashankar.

If Rao wins, the credit goes to himself. If he loses, will it be because of Jayashankar?