As political parties take positions for the coming Lok Sabha elections, the issue of Telangana has once again gained prominence in Andhra Pradesh. After the CPI declared that it would support the cause of Telangana, now, in a complete shift from its earlier policy, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has announced that it would support a separate Telangana state.
Among other factors, the Telangana issue has regained importance as, after the delimitation exercise, there are 16 Lok Sabha seats in that region now. Also, after the entry of Chiranjeevi’s Prajarajyam, some political parties are pinning their hopes in this region as the Telugu superstar is expected to shine in the other two regions — Rayalseema and coastal Andhra. Any party which is able to get a substantial portion of this Telangana pie holds a chance to become an important factor in the formation of the next government at the Centre, like the DMK or NCP in the present UPA.
As the CPI, TDP, CPI(M) and the Telangana Rashtriya Samiti are trying to forge an electoral alliance in Andhra, the TDP move might put more pressure on the CPI(M) to show flexibility on the Telangana issue. Out of the four possible partners, only CPI(M) still maintains its strict opposition to a separate Telangana state. It fears that if the party supports any movement for a separate state, the pro-Gorkhaland forces in its own backyard of West Bengal might get a boost.
Chandrasekhar Rao was quick to claim that the change in the TDP stand on Telangana was the result of their eight-year-long movement for a separate state. According to party insiders, the TDP eyes this as an opportunity to gain some votes in the Telangana region as it does not have much hope in the other two regions of the state.
Reacting to the TDP move, Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee president Dharmapuri Srinivas said: “It is a welcome decision, but it should have been taken three years ago.” It was only to secure political gains that the TDP took a pro-Telangana stand now, he added. Srinivas admitted that the TDP's stand would put pressure on the United Progressive Alliance government at the Centre to act fast on the separate statehood issue.