Why did Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia come to Hyderabad and have lunch with KCR barely a day after KCR came back from Delhi? Ostensibly, he is here to launch the supply of medicines through drones as part of the drone sorties beyond the visual line of sight (BVLOS) at 500 metres in Vikarabad. But those in the know say that he had met KCR and KTR on a special mission.
The ‘Mission” appears to be so important that the press conference that Scindia had to postpone the press meet that he had to address in the state BJP office. The press meet, which was to be held at 2.30 PM has been initially deferred to 3.30 pm. The press meet happened at 5 PM. Instead, he went straight to Pragathi Bhavan to have lunch with KCR and KTR. That the presser was postponed only because of the lunch at Pragathi Bhavan.
The mission is to ensure that TRS’s partner and KCR’s best buddy Asaduddin Owaisi contests from more constituencies in poll-bound UP. If Asaduddin Owaisi manages to divide the Muslim votes, it would help the BJP in coming back to power. So, KCR would be required to ensure that the MIM has enough financial muscle to eat into the Samajwadi party’s vote. The Samajvadi Party mainly depends on the Muslim vote to win the elections. If MIM manages to take away at least 10 per cent of the Muslim votes, it would be a disaster for the SP.
The MIM has done this in Bihar and has helped the BjP and the JDU to come back to power in the face of a tough fight with the RJD. The MIM tried to do the same thing in West Bengal but failed miserably in denting the Muslim vote, which solidly went to the Trinamool Congress. Now the MIM will have to play the spoiler to enable the BJP to win the polls. Sources said that the MIM will be financially supported in this endeavour by the TRS. Highly placed sources say that this issue has figured during the recent meeting of KCR with the top leaders of the BJP.
However, all this is sure to rattle the state BJP leadership, which is currently on a padayatra against the TRS. Party state chief Bandi Sanjay is unleashing a strong attack on KCR and the TRS government on many issues. He is also raising the Hindutwa issue in a very strident manner during his padayatra.