Ally spotting

Ally spotting

Modi’s wooing of KCR can hedge against disaffection of old NDA partners.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s second meeting with Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao in two months, following his lavish praise for KCR in Parliament, suggests proactive measures should BJP be faced by a hung Parliament scenario following Lok Sabha polls. TDP’s exit from NDA has meant that BJP must woo new partners and repair strained ties with old allies. News reports indicate that KCR is open to a post-poll alliance, a sign that regional parties not facing existential concerns because of a strong BJP will be amenable to post-poll adjustments.

In any case, BJP needs TRS more than the latter needs BJP. With Congress as the main opposition party in Telangana it makes more sense for KCR to gravitate towards BJP though he will not make much ado about it given minority sensitivities. The euphoriaover Telangana creation continues to endure. KCR remains its sole political beneficiary and is in no need of Delhi’s largesse. KCR does not have to whip up anti-Centre sentiments, unlike Chandrababu Naidu with a rump Andhra Pradesh. In 2019 a strong TRS showing may help NDA offset losses in Andhra Pradesh.

BJP can also be expected to reach out to the winner in the DMK-AIADMK duel, given the party’s minor stakes in Tamil Nadu. Even BJD, which has remained neutral for most of this Lok Sabha’s tenure, may not hesitate to do business if BJP performs poorly in Odisha. This is in contrast to parties like Trinamool Congress, TDP, RJD and SP which face fundamental contradictions in aligning with BJP. But Modi’s warm vibes with KCR are in contrast to older partners like Shiv Sena, Akali Dal, JD(U), LJP and RLSP who want a greater say in NDA functioning.

These are parties locked in a symbiotic relationship with BJP, and the latter may be forced to cede more clout than it currently yields if its seat count declines. As the opposition tries to sew up state level mahagathbandhans, BJP’s outreach will alter perceptions that political forces are uniting against it. Such fluid loyalties hardly come as a surprise. Recall that KCR was once a UPA minister while Naidu is no longer averse to sharing a stage with Congress leaders. As general elections near, adroit manoeuvres by Modi, KCR and Naidu underline why politics remains the art of the possible.