Support of Telugu states has become crucial for chairman post

In the absence of the required majority by either the BJP or the Congress to win the Rajya Sabha deputy chairman’s post, the support of regional parties of both Telugu states has become crucial. Some regional parties are putting up their own candidates.

The present deputy chairman P.J. Kurien will complete his term by the end of this month. The election is scheduled to be held in the forthcoming monsoon session of Parliament.National leaderships of BJP and Congress have started consulting regional parties to get their support. Sources said in the one-hour meeting of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Telangana state Chief Minister K. Chandra-sekhar Rao three days ago in Delhi, the election of the deputy chairman figured. The TRS and TD each have six Rajya Sabha members and the YSR Congress has two members.

While BJP and Congress parties are trying to get their candidates to win, the regional parties under the leadership of West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamul chief Mamata Banerjee want to field a non-Congress and non-BJP candidate. There is speculation that the TRS and YSRC have a secret pact with the BJP though both parties deny this.

The TRS, TD and YSRC are openly opposing the BJP and the Congress. If the Mamata Banerjee combine fields a candidate, it would be interesting to see who the TRS, TD and YSRC will support. Both AP Chief Minister and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao have good relations with Mamata Banerjee.