KCR rolls up sleeves to join UP poll drive

Hyderabad: Political parties in Telangana are showing keen interest in the Uttar Pradesh elections because it indicates the trend in the General elections. The UP battle is poised between the BJP and the Samajwadi Party. In all likelihood, TRS supremo K Chandrasekhar, who is making efforts to bring non-BJP parties onto a single platform, is likely to campaign against the Yogi government.

While a few senior Congress and BJP leaders from Telangana were already busy making preparations to move to UP and join the poll campaign in support of their respective parties, KCR is likely to take part in the rallies and public meetings to be organised by the Front, which is supporting the main opposition Samajwadi Party (SP) in the poll-bound largest state of the country. KCR's recent meeting with the heads of two left-wing parties - CPI and CPM -- and also the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) from Bihar gave ample indications that the TRS chief is keen to campaign in UP. The Left parties and RJD have already formed a front and are campaigning in support of the Samajwadi Party.

Top party sources said that KCR is planning to attend some political rallies and public meetings organised by the SP and left parties. "KCR already gave a call to fight against the BJP-led Union government for not arresting the skyrocketing prices of fertilizers and low MSP for the principal crops. The TRS chief wanted to raise the farmers' plight in the poll campaign and unite the anti-BJP forces. There are strong indications that the UP elections will create a strong platform for anti-BJP parties and KCR will be one of the key players in continuing the fight against the Centre at national level," a senior leader said. KCR is planning to take part in the campaign in the third and fourth phases of elections to be held in February, which fall in convenient weather conditions like moderate cold and heat. A team of TRS leaders would be sent to UP to study the ground-level political situation. Based on the reports of the TRS party leaders, KCR will make a final decision on attending the public meetings.

SP leader Akhilesh Yadav had already met KCR on two occasions before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in Hyderabad and supported the TRS chief's proposal to float a Federal Front involving all regional parties against the BJP and Congress at national level. However, KCR dumped the idea even before the Lok Sabha elections.

Earlier, KCR had planned to attend some rallies in support of the DMK in Tamil Nadu and the RJD in Bihar during the assembly elections. He stayed away for various reasons. This time, the TRS chief is serious about taking part in the campaign in the Assembly elections in UP, which are considered semi-finals ahead of the 2024 General elections in the country.