The TRS supremo is once again at the cynosure of Andhra Pradesh politics.  A shrewd strategist in K.Chandrashekhar Rao could successfully revive  his party. Though it is difficult to predict as of now whether this revival is long lasting and substantial in nature.

In the last four decades of history of telangana movement, there were several attempts to revive the Telangana movement in the recent and distant past. But, the credit goes to KCR for catapulting the movement to this level. He could garner the support of several national and other regional parties in favour of this cause. As a partner of UPA in 2004, KCR was also successful in ensuring that the issue of telangana figures in the common minimum programme and the Presidential address to the joint session of the Parliament. Thanks to the relentless and poignant campaign by KCR, many political parties in the state have changed their long held position on the question of separate state for Telangana. The crucial change has come from the major opposition in the state, Telugu Desam Party (TDP). The TDP which was firmly in favour of united state reversed its stand and extended support to the demand of separate Telangana on the eve of 2009 elections. The CPI also changed its stand on this issue. The BJP was forced to take out the issue from the cold storage. Infact, Telangana leaders got elevated in many parties after the emergence of TRS. These are the significant successes registered by TRS and its leader KCR despite many electoral reverses. KCR could keep the issue alive for so long. Many of his rivals were enthusiastic to write the obituary of TRS. But, KCR with his vituperative communication skills, sharp, satirical political attacks on rivals kept the momentum of the movement.

The diabolical stand of major parties came in handy for the KCR. The Congress as usual took a deceptive stand. While claiming to be in favour of Telangana state, the Congress   left no stone unturned to burry the issue, thus it proved to be the principal villain in the current Telangana episode. The Telugu Desam which effected a change in the stand remained silent on the issue after the elections. The BJP that claimed that it would form the Telangana state within 100 days of coming to power chose to remain silent for its own reasons. The Praja Rajyam is on ‘No Mans land’ as far as this issue is concerned. Therefore TRS remained the principal contender for the pro-Telangana political space. This is precisely the reason why KCR could bounce back despite many a mistake.

But there are many significant political deficiencies in KCR. His style of functioning proved to be deterrent for building a strong organizational base for the party. There was a great disconnect between the top leadership of the party and the leadership at other levels. A similar gap continued to widen ever between the party leadership and the rank and file. The TRS failed to evolve as a full fledged political party even till today. The unilateral strategic maneuvers of KCR were always an enigma for the party workers too. His arbitrary decision making even during elections led to a simmering discontent within the party that exploded many times. There was a total disorientation as far as linking the Telangana sentiment with the day to day problems of the people of Telangana are concerned. Responding to the criticism, KCR did talk of issues now and then. But, a serious effort was always lacking. The Telangana separate state was promoted as an abstract idea before the  people. The TRS leadership always chose to capitalise on the emotional issues rather than attending to the serious problems of the Telangana region. But, it is extremely difficult to sustain any movement to only based one motional feeling. Thus , TRS supremo  KCR has to invent manly method to steal the storm. Repeated resignations, Free Zone controversy, settlers, and now hunger strikes are few such examples .On many such occasions, KCR cleverly used events and developments to his active advantage. In the absence of such events or developments, KCR himself authored such events.

It is a fact that TRS is not the only one political expression of Telangana sentiment. Many organizations linked to some or other political party or not, have been part of Telangana movement. But, KCR continued to remain a towering personality in the movement who can not be ignored by even his detractors. This is the reason why many parties and organizations joined hands to express their solidarity to KCR during his hunger strike.  The TRS is the only organized political force exclusively espousing the cause of Telangana . Many other leaders like Narendra, Devender Gowd, Vijaya Shanti proved to be damp squib. Thus, KCR became indispensable for Telangana loyalists  even if they are annoyed with his functioning. Thus KCR is both an asset and a liability  for the separate  Telangana movement. He is the centre of attraction and dissent within the Telangana political space.  Many cannot follow him. None can ignore him. Many often publicly express that the Telangana movement needs KCR but a changed KCR. But, can this happen .This is a million dollar question. KCR will be like KCR.  He cannot become someone else  just because some one wanted so.

This is originally written for Deccan Post