Hyderabad: The Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) and the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) continue to be at odds over the former’s political campaigning for the ruling party in Telangana. Ever since TRS supremo K. Chandrashekhar Rao (KCR) announced his national political ambitions, the firm has asked for a renegotiation over their deal. As of now, I-PAC has stopped its work for KCR.
According to the sources, the deal is unlikely to be renegotiated until the upcoming crucial Munugode bypoll in Telangana, which will be held on November 3. The by-election is being held as ex-MLA Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy quit the Congress and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) recently. He resigned from the seat, necessitating the bypoll, which is being seen as TRS versus BJP fight.
An I-PAC source told Siasat.com that things are unlikely to be sorted immediately and may take a while. “Most of the Hyderabad team members have been sent to other states. The deal may get solved in a few months with the TRS or KCR,” the source added.
Political analysts also believe one of I-PAC’s founders, Prashant Kishore’s own political ambitions may have been an issue as well. Kishore himself has begun his own political path in Bihar, his home state. Kishore started the ‘Jan Suraj Yatra’ earlier this. “How can he help KCR or TRS while he himself will also be a contender on the national scene?” an analyst, who did not want to be named, questioned.
KCR’s national party plans clashing with PK’s plans?
On October 5, KCR formally announced that the TRS would be rechristened to Bharata Rashtra Samithi (BRS). While the decision has been sent to the Election Commission of India as well, it has formally not been changed to BRS yet. Namesake aside, the change is about KCR’s grand plans to enter national ambitions. The chief minister has been talking of forming a ‘Federal Front’ from years.
The fallout between I-PAC and KCR or the TRS transpired a few weeks ago, sources said. The plan, according to some I-PAC members, was originally for the firm to run the TRS’s 2023 state election campaign. After KCR’s grand plans were revealed, I-PAC reportedly asked to renegotiate their deal, failing which the firm ceased its campaigning for the TRS.
KCR, it is learnt, wanted the Prashant Kishore-led I-PAC to help with the former’s national party plans as well. “But that was not part of the original deal. Plus no one knew he was going to launch it until the end. As of now there is only skeletal staff working in Hyderabad for the TRS. Most of the people have been sent away,” the I-PA source added.
The TRS had in fact just recently the hired I-PAC to help with its 2023 state election campaign. The ruling party in Telangana won 88 seats out of 119 in the 2018 polls. Then, the Congress formed a grand alliance with the Telugu Desam Party, Telangana Jana Samithi and other parties. However, the grand old party could win just 19 seats, of which 12 defected to the TRS later (and two TDP MLAs as well).
