Retd Prof in pursuit of alternative political vision in T'gana

The Telangana Jana Samithi (TJS) chief M Kodandaram, has a point to prove in the state elections that mobilising people for an agenda is key to gain in polls, and not financial resources.

The retired Osmania University Political Science Professor, who led the Telangana Joint Action Committee (T-JAC) formed in 2009 with the goal of achieving a separate Telangana State, founded TJS earlier this year.

An umbrella organisation of different pro-Telangana political and non-political groups, T-JAC had spearheaded the statehood movement.

Telangana was carved out of Andhra Pradesh in 2014.

TJS is part of the Congress-led "Prajakutami" (People's alliance) that also comprises the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the Communist Party of India (CPI) seeking to dislodge the TRS government.

 

The TJS has been allotted eight constituencies as part of the seat-sharing deal for the December seven elections to the 119-member Telangana Assembly.

Kodandaram agreed with the view in some quarters that financial resources play a key role in elections.

"So far, we have been able to run the party with meagre resources and we have been able to make a significant impact. Once you stick to your principles and work for them, obviously some resource mobilisation would not be a big thing and gaining in the elections should be possible," he told PTI.

TJS, Kodandaram said, believes that it's not buying the votes which should become the key element in the election campaign. On the contrary, it should be mobilisation for an agenda.

"That I think will make all the difference, that's what we realised in the course of the Telangana struggle. In this alternative vision of politics, I think the expenditure on elections will be substantially cut down," he said.

On perception of some critics that the TJS does not have "prominent leaders" except him, Kodandaram said, "Leaders are not born, they emerge and they emerge in the course of the struggle, in the course of the fight for justice."

"Leaders are made by the society, it's their involvement, their participation which make them leaders," he said.