TDP will be rendered irrelevant after LS polls: K T Rama Rao

The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) would be rendered irrelevant post the Lok Sabha elections next year, a key Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) leader claimed Wednesday.

K T Rama Rao, son of TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) and considered number two in the party, also claimed that the TRS would win 16 of the total of 17 Lok Sabha seats in the state next year.

"....some parties will be rendered irrelevant post April 2019 (after Lok Sabha elections)," he told reporters when asked about both the TDP, led by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, and the TRS being "in touch" with the JD(S).

Naidu had recently met JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda as part of his efforts to forge a broad anti-BJP front, while KCR had met him a few months ago to pursue his proposal to promote a non-BJP, non-Congress federal front.

"Today we have proven our worth in Telangana (by winning the Assembly elections) and I am very, very confident that we will also go back to Delhi again with 16 Members of Parliament from Telangana on TRS tickets," Rama Rao said.

"Therefore, how this situation will play out in Delhi tomorrow (in future), and how this number will become relevant in Delhi are something obviously to watch out for," he said.

Speaking about TRS's move on promoting a non-Congress, non-BJP front, he said: "We are not merely trying to usurp the hot seat in Delhi. We have not been trying to bring about a coalition of political parties with the agenda of assuming office in Delhi. The intent is change the narrative in Delhi".

"The intent is to show the world that a non-Congress, non-BJP formation can also work, strong regional parties coming together, stronger and saner voices being heard, changing the narrative, can't just be 'Rafale vs Bofors vs surgical strikes vs mandir etc, etc'," Rama Rao said.

The common man of this country wants improvements in health, education, electricity and infrastructure, he said.

He noted that the TRS chief has been talking about how the nation has underutilised river waters and the potential of providing potable drinking water connections to each and every home.

"We have shown that in Telangana and we have delivered, and people have reposed faith in our administration. So this can be replicated, emulated at the national stage as well," Rama Rao added.