Expressing suspicion that the TRS had a secret agenda with the BJP, Congress leader S Jaipal Reddy said that his party had no objection to entering an electoral alliance with the TDP in the state - something that would have TDP founder NTR spinning in his grave.
Speaking to the media at Gandhi Bhavan on Thursday, Reddy faulted Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao for hobnobbing with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and at the same time speaking against BJP national president Amit Shah. He said that KCR's dual standards had come out after the BJP national president's tour in Telangana.
He also asked KCR to disclose his stand on extending support to the Presidential candidate selected by the Opposition parties. He did not rule out the possibility of the TRS merging with the BJP in the future.
Speaking about Shah himself, Reddy said that the BJP would not be benefited by the visit of Shah to Telangana. He also said that Telangana had sought funds as per the Constitution, and alleged that Shah's figures were false and imaginary.
Reddy said that his party would be friendly with all political parties except the TRS and the BJP. He said that the TDP was not an untouchable party, and that the Congress would announce its policy on an alliance if the Telangana TDP took a decision on its own. (Readers will know that the TDP was formed in 1982 by N T Rama Rao primarily to oppose the Congress, and has always had that stand.)
Reddy said the Congress was ready to face a TRS and BJP alliance in the 2019 elections in the state.