Prez polls: From BJP to opposition camp, why KCR shifted sides

Hyderabad: Regardless of his politics and electoral victories, Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) supremo K. Chandrashekhar Rao (KCR) over the last eight years has always been accused of supporting the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ruled Centre indirectly. A ’fence sitter’ is what he has been called repeatedly by critics as well.
In fact, many believed that KCR would support the BJP’s candidate Draupadi Murmu (a BJP tribal leader from Odisha) in the upcoming Presidential elections. However, KCR surprised many after the TRS announced that it would be supporting the opposition’s candidate (and former BJP leader) Yashwant Sinha, who is now a big critic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
It may be recalled that KCR had decided to support the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate (now President) Ram Nath Kovind in the previous Presidential polls. Moreover, the TRS, after coming to power first in 2014 (and later in 2018) had also supported the central government over a host of issues in the past. So what changed now? Just like KCR, Andhra Pradesh chief minister and YSR Congress Party president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy is also considered to be another ’fence sitter’. The YSRCP has in fact offered its support to BJP’s Murmu.
“We have to fall in one group now: either with the BJP or against it. There were some hindrances since Congress is also on the opposition side. He is on good terms with everyone and he got a call asking for support. So he chose to do that,” said a senior TRS functionary, who did not want to be named. The change in the track is also an indication that for KCR, the BJP is now a threat.
BJP, a foe KCR can no longer ignore in Telangana Eight years after the formation of Telangana, the BJP has finally emerged as a major player. The TRS won the 2018 state elections with a thumping majority (88 seats), and the BJP had won just one seat then. However, 2022 is a completely different story, and cracks have begun to appear in KCR’s armour.