Mutual friends play a big role not only on Facebook but also in politics. It is these mutual friends who do a lot of things in disguise. The situation in South India looks more the same. With anti-BJP forces coming closer, the Congress party is trying to gain some advantage. The recent alliance between JDS and Congress to counter BJP in Karnataka is a stand out example.

Chandrababu Naidu who claimed that he maintains equal distance from BJP and Congress did not mind patting the back of Rahul Gandhi when the latter offered to shook his hands. This can be overlooked as a mere ‘courtesy’ call. But politicians’ handshakes don’t end there.

If we look at the recent developments, Congress and JDS which are completely against each other, joined post elections. Parallelly Chandrababu requested Kumaraswamy to extend his support, despite JDS being in alliance with Congress. Meanwhile, KCR was more enthusiastic in meeting Deve Gowda. Even Deve Gowda out-rightly expressed that any anti-BJP alliance without Congress is not possible, given the INC’s pan India presence.

Under these circumstances, it is almost next to impossible to ignore Congress in an anti-BJP alliance. At the same time, CBN will be preferred over KCR, when it comes to national politics. His experience at the national level might outwit KCR for sure.

Even the Congress knows it is easier to deal with CBN, who often opts ‘quid pro quo’, than with KCR, who wants to take the lead.