New Delhi: On May 16, 2009, analysing the Lok Sabha poll results, a famous editor said, "Mr KCR or K Chandrashekhara Rao, please forget your Telangana. You will never get it". The UPA had stunned the nation by retaining power at the Centre. The charismatic chief minister of Andhra Pradesh Dr YS Rajashekhara Reddy had also registered a stunning victory by winning both Lok Sabha and Assembly elections for the Congress for the second time in a row.
The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) of KCR had suffered a humiliating defeat in both assembly and Lok Sabha polls on the same day. The TRS had won just 2 Lok Sabha seats and over a dozen MLA seats.
Not only had the editor as perhaps even KCR thought that it was the end of his fight for a separate state Telangana. There was a Congress wave everywhere. According to some sources KCR even went into depression after that debacle.
Life is always uncertain. Within 4 months, YSR died in a helicopter crash plunging the state into chaos and sorrow. A weak leader K Rosaiah was appointed as the chief minister of AP.
Wounded and defeated KCR was still trying to stage a comeback. His chance came in late November 2009. KCR who was almost forgotten by the so-called national media went on a fast unto death demanding a separate state of Telangana once again.
Both the media and the Congress high command in New Delhi ignored his fast for a week. Rosaiah also failed to gauge the public mood in Telangana ignored KCR's fast.
But, the people of Telangana started gathering in Hyderabad backing KCR and Telangana. Swelling roar of crowd greeted him. When he refused to end his fast and the situation almost went out of control, the Centre swung into action. It forced KCR to end his fast by forcibly admitting him into Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences in Hyderabad. The then Union home minister P Chidambaram made a midnight announcement on a cold December night that the Centre was committed to forming a separate state of Telangana.
It made KCR a hero across Telangana and brought him back into the centre stage of both AP and national politics. The Centre appointed a committee headed by a former Supreme Court judge BN Srikrishna to study the demand for a separate state in early 2010.
The committee submitted its report on the last day of December 2010. The report was almost against Telangana. It offered various solutions instead of a separate state. The TRS and the people of Telangana rejected it.
In the meantime, the sulking son of the late CM YSR, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy had revolted against the Congress and eventually quit the party. His popularity started soaring across Seemandhra region.
The CBI investigation into his alleged corruption during his father's tenure finally sent him to jail for 16 months. The ineffective CM N Kiran Kumar Reddy failed to hold the party and the government together. The AP once a bastion of the Congress started slipping away from its hands.
The Congress high command which had adopted the 'wait and watch' approach towards the creation of Telangana acted quickly after gauging the public mood. It started telling the world that Telangana would be a reality soon. The dwindling fortunes of the Congress in AP and other parts of India also forced the Congress governmement to grant Telangana.
The Congress is hoping that the KCR will merge his party TRS with it out of gratitude. But, he is now dillydallying. He is in two minds over the merger. He may either opt for a seat sharing with the Congress or may even contest as an independent party in Telangana.
Telangana has 17 Lok Sabha seats and 119 Assembly seats. The BJP is hoping to make some inroads here. The TDP may retain its influence in some pockets. The Left and the YSR Congress have a marginal presence here.
The passage of Telangana Bill has cleared the way for a direct fight between the YSRCP of YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and and the TDP led by N Chandrababu Naidu in Seemandhra with 25 Lok Sabha seats and 175 Assembly seats.
The Congress is actually staring at a huge debacle in Seemandhra region. According to local people, the passions are running high and they won't forgive the Congress for dividing the state against their wish.
If the Rajya Sabha clears the Telangana Bill this week, the country will welcome its 29th state.
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