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Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao's early poll calculus for Telangana may misfire

The Telangana Rashtriya Samiti (TRS) chief's decision, which aims to dehyphenate the state and Lok Sabha polls, is aimed at forcing an early assembly election, which will give the party an upper hand in the polls.

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CM Rao submits his recommendation to Guv Narsimhan, in Hyderabad on Thursday
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Taking a calculated political plunge, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Thursday dissolved the state assembly in a shrewd move to make electoral gains.

The Telangana Rashtriya Samiti (TRS) chief's decision, which aims to dehyphenate the state and Lok Sabha polls, is aimed at forcing an early assembly election, which will give the party an upper hand in the polls.

TRS leaders said that having disparate assembly polls is a well thought-out idea, as the party chief wants to keep away from the incessant poll blitz of Prime Minister Narendra Modi before the general elections, and concentrate on showcasing his own government's achievements.

There were apprehensions within TRS that PM Modi's strong campaign could impact results in the state as it did during the simultaneous polls of 2014, when the party could secure only 63 seats in the 119-seat assembly — well below its expectations.

Besides, the anti-incumbency wave against Modi-led BJP government at the Centre may give the Congress extra push nationally, which in turn might reflect in the state polls, TRS leaders further said.

An early assembly election will give TRS more time time to capitalise on farmer-oriented schemes like 'Rythu Bandhu', under which all landholding farmers get Rs 4,000 per acre to bear farming costs.

On the flip side, the party's expectation to hold early polls by bunching it with elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Mizoram could misfire as the electoral rolls in Telangana, unlike the four poll-bound states, are yet to be updated .

The updation of electoral rolls is under way across states including Telangana, and the final publication would take place in the first week of January next year.

Unless the State Election Commission decides to have a special early drive to weed out and include names in the electoral lists, elections in Telangana will likely be held in January next year, said EC sources.

"The EC will take a call after weighing all factors. As of now, nothing is certain. There is no hurry to hold immediate elections, as after a dissolved assembly, polls can be held within 6 months," an EC official said.

What’s On KCR Mind, Rivals Speculate

  • TRS chief hoping to encash ‘feel good factor’ in state after good rains; his popularity hasn’t sagged
  • Early polls will give TRS opponents less time to prepare for polls
  • Oppn: KCR wants to win back state and hand it over to son KT Rama Rao
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