Pink plans in hard times

HYDERABAD: These are troubled times and TRS generals are aware of it. For, they need to play their cards carefully and ensure that their flock remains intact.
A churning of sorts is now on in K Chandrashekhar Rao''s party with the leadership exploring options. Now that the exit polls are giving a paltry five Lok Sabha seats to the TDP, one option that TRS strategists are exploring is supporting the NDA from outside.
Here''s the logic.The TDP, if it has a reduced strength in Parliament, will be less of a bother to the BJP. In the remote possibility of Chandrababu Naidu hitching his wagon to Mulayam Singh Yadav''s SP-led Third Front, the TRS will be in a position to fill that void.
This could help the party achieve Telangana, for the BJP turned closet supporter of Telangana only af-ter it proudly proclaimed support for it in its Kakinada Resolution.
"For now, they aren''t backing Telangana. But once they vociferously backed the demand. We know this is premature, but politics is a game of the unforseen," a TRS leader said.
Another strand of worry in the TRS war room is the possibility of the Congress trying to break away MLAs from its ranks. With the possibility of the TDP and the Congress falling short of the half-way mark, the Congress might just be tempted to shore up its numbers by poaching on TRS MLAs.
This will stabilise its boat. As things stand now, the parties are in an alliance. But once these MLAs are firmly with the Congress, the need for the TRS as an ally will be minimal.
Besides, among the TRS contestants are some who jumped ship from the TDP. Going back won''t be such a good option, for there could be reprisals. As such, the Congress is professedly a pro-Telangana party, not the TDP. Explaining the move to supporters and well-wishers will be a lot simpler.