With NDA's convincing victory, KCR's federal front plans in tatters

With the ruling NDA on course to securing a majority on its own in the Lok Sabha polls, TRS supremo and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao's plans to stitch a "non-Congress, non-BJP" front of regional parties is in tatters.

Anticipating a hung parliament, the TRS was gearing itself to play a "king-maker" role along with parties not aligned with the Congress and the BJP.

But the trends indicate BJP will get majority on is own and touch 300 seats, pouring cold water on Rao's plans.

Rao had met several regional leaders, including his West Bengal and Odisha counterparts Mamata Banerjee and Naveen Patnaik respectively, DMK president M K Stalin and Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav, as part of his outreach to opposition parties.

However, he did not appear to have received unequivocal support from others, except Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy of YSRCP as his efforts to form the federal front failed to make headway and remained a non-starter, according to Rao's critics.

His decision to advance the assembly polls eight months before its expiry last year was hailed as a "master-stroke" as the TRS returned to power with a rich haul of 88 seats in the 119-member House.

It was then perceived that national issues might have overshadowed those of the state if simultaneous elections were held for the Lok Sabha and the state assembly.

In the Lok Sabha poll campaign, TRS told the electorate a win for it would enable Telangana get copious funds and development projects from the Centre.

Rao's focus on national politics led to speculation he would pass over the reins of the government to his son K T Rama Rao but the latter was appointed working president of TRS soon after TRS' victory in the assembly polls.

Chandrasekhar Rao's glorious moment in his about four-decade-long political career came when the UPA government led by Dr Manmohan Singh granted separate statehood in 2014, a long cherished dream, catapulting Rao to be the mascot of Telangana pride.

Though the Congress and BJP also claim credit for passage of the Telangana bill, it was Rao's TRS that reaped the rich political harvest.

It was his fiery oratory and shrewd political moves that helped Rao revive the separate statehood demand and achieve it in the end.

Prior to launching the TRS, he began his political career as a Youth Congress leader before joining the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) founded by film icon N T Rama Rao in 1983.

After an unsuccessful electoral debut the same year from Siddipet, he wrested the seat in 1985 and there was no looking back for him ever since.

Rao, who was a minister in the NTR government and subsequently in the N Chandrababu Naidu ministry, has won 13 elections to the Lok Sabha and state assembly on the trot.

Congress allied with TRS to dislodge the TDP in 2004 and the alliance was successful at the hustings, but Rao later pulled out his party from the combine accusing the Congress of not being serious about creating Telangana.

In the 2009 assembly elections, TRS allied with the TDP after the latter agreed to extend "unconditional support" for creation of Telangana.

But, Rao and his TRS remained a fringe player in undivided Andhra Pradesh as the Congress returned to power in 2009 under the charismatic Y S Rajasekhara Reddy.

Following Reddy's death in a helicopter crash in 2009, Congress in the state plunged into turmoil as his son Jagan Mohan Reddy revolted against party high command over the leadership issue.

Sensing an opportunity, Rao began a fast unto death for Telangana statehood which he ended 11 days later after the then Union Home Minister P Chidambaram announced on December 9, 2009 steps will be taken for formation of the state by dividing Andhra Pradesh.

However, the UPA government later dragged its feet under pressure from people of coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema region who protested the "unilateral" announcement and felt more consultations were needed.

Resuming his battle, Rao breathed fire and brimstone with slogans like "Telangana waley jaago, Andhra waley bhago (People of Telangana arise, those of Andhra run away)". He threatened a "civil war" and "bloodbath" if Telangana was not created.

As Andhra Pradesh, geographically undivided but cleaved by strong regional sentiments, headed for the 2014 assembly elections, Rao's steadfast and aggressive pursuit of Telangana saw the TRS reaping a handsome electoral harvest.

And when the new state was born, TRS had 11 of the 17 Lok Sabha and 63 of the 119 assembly seats. Having realised his Telangana dream, he consolidated his position with nearly 20 MLAs from the TDP, Congress and other parties switching over to the TRS.

In his first tenure as Chief Minister, Rao implemented pro-farmer schemes like "Rythu Bandhu", an investment support initiative, and "Rythu Beema", a life insurance scheme for the royts, that helped him regain power in December last.