Battle Lines Drawn, What Next for Congress?

K Chandrasekhara Rao’s Assembly Dissolution came as a total surprise to Congress as the Grand Old Party is leisurely preparing for the 2019 elections. KCR stumped them further by announcing 105 TRS candidates out of the 119 constituencies in the state immediately after dissolving the Assembly.

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It is certain that the Congress is taken by surprise with this confidence of KCR. The remaining candidates will be announced in 10 days and the TRS Supremo is blowing the Elections Conch right from tomorrow at a Public Meeting in Husnabad. By the time Congress announces its candidates, KCR will finish half of his election campaign.

All eyes are on Congress’ reaction to this challenge. Buzz is that Congress is likely to stitch with the Telugu Desam and Prof Kodandaram’s Telangana Jana Samiti (TJS) but the talks are yet to begin and such alliance cannot be stitched easily.

Further, there are too many CM candidates in Congress who will be baying at each other’s blood just for nothing. The fight Congress can put up will depend on how Congress will overcome these challenges. Congress will be hoping that Election Commission will defer the elections just like how it did to Chandrababu Naidu in 2004.