Shocking KCR, she suddenly jumped into the lap of Y S Vijayamma. It is learnt that she is keen on making a political entry and that Y S Jaganmohan Reddy had given her assurance of the Narsamppet ticket from Warangal district.

Rani Rudrama who was thought to be an upcoming charismatic leader for the Telangana movement, shocked many, by meeting Vijayamma in November. She took the YSRCP membership also. She was appointed in-charge of the Narsampet constituency. Jagan has been appointing prospective candidates as in-charges of their respective constituencies. As such, it is being said that Rani Rudrama Devi contesting from the Narsampet constituency of Warangal is a foregone conclusion. Rani Rudrama Devi has no political experience.

Rani Rudrama Devi was working with ABN Andhra Jyothi Channel before joining the Telangana channel. When she left ABN, she charged that Telangana employees were being ill-treated in ABN. With this, KCR gave full publicity to her, apart from job in his channel. In the T Channel, she built up charisma matching that of a film star. It should be seen if people who identified her as an icon of Telangana would now vote for her as the YSR Congress candidate.

The sub-regional party is planning to rope in as many leaders as possible from the two principal parties for its anniversary meeting at Armoor town in Nizamabad district April 27. TRS chief K. Chandrasekhara Rao, or KCR as he is known, has even set April 27 as the ‘deadline’ for leaders of the two parties to make up their mind.

Since then one TDP legislator has crossed over to the TRS and at least two Congress MPs have dropped hints that they may join them. However, TRS leaders admit the response so far has not been encouraging and are still hopeful of others joining their camp before the April 27 meet.

With the Congress yet to take a clear stand on Telangana, the TRS is mounting pressure on ruling party leaders to take a decision “in tune with the people’s aspirations”.

Political observers say most Congress leaders find themselves at the crossroads as the proposal for a front has also not taken off. There has been speculation for the last few weeks that union Minister S. Jaipal Reddy and state Minister K. Jana Reddy will float a separate outfit to bring together all pro-Telangana leaders who don’t want to sail with KCR.

The idea was reportedly dropped after it received lukewarm response from the majority of 50 Congress MLAs, who don’t want to disturb the government at this stage. Congress leaders like Jana Reddy admitted it would be difficult for them to face people in the 2014 elections without the party fulfilling the Dec 9, 2009, promise to carve out a Telangana state. They want to keep up pressure on the party leadership to take an early decision.

Some observers feel Congress and TDP leaders may come under pressure at the grassroots level to join the TRS, which is seen as the only party wedded to the cause of Telangana. Similar pressure after the 2009 statement had forced about a dozen leaders from the two parties to defect.

The Congress, the TDP and the YSR Congress remain divided over Telangana along regional lines with their leaders from Andhra and Rayalaseema opposing the division of the state. Even the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is now backing the demand, had opposed it while in power at the centre. “Having alliance with somebody can prove a liability to our agenda of achieving Telangana state in the coming days,” KCR said.

He believes only by bagging a majority of 119 seats in the 294-member assembly and 17 Lok Sabha seats (out of 42 from the state) will help achieve the Telangana goal. This will be the first time in its 12-year existence that the TRS will not be in alliance with any party. It fought the 2004 elections with the Congress, which swept the polls to deny it the kingmaker’s role.

With the Congress retaining power, KCR faced a tough time. It was the death of then chief minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy in a helicopter crash in September 2009 that altered the political scene. KCR revived the Telangana movement with an indefinite fast; the massive street protests forced New Delhi to announce that the process for a separate Telangana state would be initiated.

With the promise remaining unfulfilled, the TRS will be going to public with its oft repeated allegation that the Congress always betrayed over four-decade-old Telangana cause.

Lokesh came to the district to inaugurate some welfare schemes for the dairy farmers of Pileru on behalf of his family’s Heritage Dairy. Several TDP leaders met him at the Renigunta airport on thursday morning and at his hotel in the evening.

Though the party leaders tried to discuss politics, he politely refused to talk politics. He told them that he came on the dairy work and would not talk politics now. He also told them that his father’s pada yatra would be ending soon and he would take care of party affairs himself. Those who met Lokesh included Chittoor MP Shiva Prasad, district party president Jangalapalli Srinivasulu, former MLA Chadalavada Krishna Murti and district Telugu Yuvata president Sridhar Varma.

Lokesh who has been taking keen interest in party politics, suddenly refusing to talk politics surprised many. Party functionaries are discussing the reasons for his losing interest in politics.