Politics in Andhra Pradesh is taking a new turn everyday as regional parties in the state are looking for new alliances and friends. With heavy competition between the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) for the upcoming Assembly elections, both are making the most of the opportunities available.

While the TDP had been with the NDA as a partner of the BJP for nearly four years, it severed its ties when the saffron party failed to fulfil the needs and demands of the state as promised in the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014. Ever since, it has been scouting for a right partner and ended up having an alliance with the Congress, ending its 40-year rivalry with the grand old party. While the alliance in Telangana in the form of Prajakutami faced a drubbing, it was a lesson for the TDP to get it right this time in Andhra Pradesh’s assembly elections due in April-May this year.

Meanwhile, YSRCP Chief Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy’s Padayatra had gathered the support of the masses and ended up being one of the longest Padayatras in the history of Telugu politics by any political leader. His Padayatra has also transformed Jagan’s image into a patient leader who was often perceived as an inexperienced politician by many. While YSRCP has put up a strong Opposition against the TDP, it has been looking for allies. While the party did not claim openly that it supported the BJP, however the secret understanding still exists as part of BJP’s political vendetta against the TDP.

Additionally, TRS’ thumping win in Telangana brought the YSRCP closer to the pink party as it kept giving statements that it will support any party that will fight for Special Category Status for Andhra Pradesh. While this ploy of the party seemed to be strategic, Jagan’s statements on joining KCR’s Federal Front sparked off rumours of a partnership between YSRCP and TRS. Yesterday’s meeting confirmed the understanding and interest of YSRCP in TRS.

While the TDP has made a blunder by tying up with the Congress, it has also made several people question the party about its own ideology and existence. The Yellow Party High Command also faced difficult questions from their own party cadre who did not agree to a tie-up with the Congress. With the Telangana Assembly elections dud for the TDP, it looks like the party leadership has learnt its lessons about people’s verdict of such an unexpected tie-up.

On the other hand, Jagan seeking TRS’ help and alliance at this point in time could turn out to be disastrous for YSRCP as TRS Chief K. Chandrasekhar Rao had made anti-Andhra statements earlier and keeps making such vitriolic statements on and off. Also, YSRCP needs to secure its place in the Assembly elections first and then look at its 42 MP seats arithmetic for Lok Sabha. This decision of a tie-up with TRS could prove to be damaging to Jagan as TDP may use this to showcase that TRS is interfering in AP’s elections and create a local sentiment that could work in TDP’s favour.

In conclusion, though the TDP-Congress alliance and TRS-YSRCP alliance look like smart moves, they need to be cautious about how they could become major blunders for both the Andhra Pradesh political parties which are vying to be in power this year. People’s verdict in the elections will prove whether they are lessons for TDP and YSRCP or clever strategies practised at the right time.

The meeting of Telangana Rashtra Samithi working president K T Rama Rao with YSR Congress party president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy at the latter’s Lotus Pond residence in Hyderabad has triggered intense political debate in the political circles.

It is quite obvious that the TRS is going to work together with the YSR Congress party in Andhra Pradesh elections to defeat Telugu Desam Party president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu in the upcoming Andhra Pradesh elections.

TRS president and Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has already announced that he was going to give a return gift to his AP counterpart, who had joined hands with the Congress party in the Telangana to defeat TRS.

TRS leaders like Talasani Srinivasa Yadav openly announced that the TRS would definitely play its role in the Andhra Pradesh elections.KCR wants to defeat the TDP in AP assembly elections, so that Naidu will lose his face at the national level and all his attempts to form an anti-BJP front would be crashed.

At the same time, KCR wants to increase his own stakes at the Centre by winning 16 MP seats in Telangana and help YSRC win another 20 MP seats in Andhra, so that both the Telugu states with 35-40 MPs could steer the wheel in the Centre.

But how KCR wants to play a role in Andhra elections is still a mystery.

KCR cannot have an alliance with the YSRCP, as there is no TRS in Andhra Pradesh. He cannot directly campaign for YSRC in Andhra, as if he does it, it will only help Naidu.According to a section of analysts, KCR might rope in his friendly party MIM to contest in a few Muslim-dominated constituencies and launch a vigorous campaign against Naidu.MIM president Asaduddin Owaisi already said he would campaign in Andhra against Naidu. If necessary, KCR might also campaign for MIM only to run down Naidu, thereby indirectly helping the YSRC.

Secondly, KCR might extend financial and other kinds of support to YSRC candidates. He has a lot of clout among Andhra industrialists and businessmen who have their base in Hyderabad. He can influence them and make them support Jagan.Thirdly, having been associated with Naidu for nearly two decades and a part of TDP’s think-tank for a long time, KCR is well aware of Naidu’s political strategies.

He can give suggestions to Jagan from time to time to counter Naidu’s poll management strategies.And lastly, the TRS might indulge in a vigorous campaign in the social media against Naidu and influence the voters in favour of YSRC, say sources.

H-1B workers are “frequently” placed in poor working conditions and “vulnerable to abuse”, a US think-tank claimed Thursday, seeking reforms such as substantial increase in wages.In a report, the South Asia Center of the Atlantic Council also sought safeguards like providing fair working conditions, and greater employment rights for those working under the visa programme.The report comes days after US President Donald Trump said he is soon coming out with reforms that will give H-1B visa holders certainty to stay in America and an easy pathway to citizenship.

“H1-B holders in the United States can rest assured that changes are soon coming which will bring both simplicity and certainty to your stay, including a potential path to citizenship. We want to encourage talented and highly skilled people to pursue career options in the US,” Trump had tweet Friday.

The report has been authored by Ron Hira from Howard University and head, South Asia Center of the Atlantic Council, Bharat Gopalaswamy.The current system not only harms Americans, but it also enables H-1B workers to be exploited, according to the report.

“H-1B workers themselves are underpaid, vulnerable to abuse, and frequently placed in poor working conditions. Adopting safeguards to ensure H-1B workers are paid appropriate wages, provided fair working conditions, and given greater employment rights would not only improve their lives, but would also better protect US workers,” it said.

The report said adopting adequate safeguards would also ensure the H-1B programme contributes to the US economy by filling genuine shortages in the labour market with foreign workers who possess rare skills and can be rightly characterised as the “best and brightest”.

The think-tank suggested three key reforms and said these should apply to all employers and not simply a subset of them.

“The first, and most important, reform is to substantially raise the wages of H-1B workers. If the United States is going to invite in the “best and brightest” workers, they ought to be paid in the top quartile,” the report said.

Second, employers should demonstrate they have actively recruited US workers, and offered positions to qualified people, prior to turning to the H-1B programme, it said. The rationale of the H-1B programme is to fill labour gaps and not simply to swell the pool of candidates for employers, the report observed.

“Third, the programme needs an effective and efficient enforcement mechanism,” the think-tank said, claiming that the current programme compliance is complaint-driven, resting almost entirely on whistleblowers to reduce fraud. This is a poor design, it said.

The Atlantic Council said there should be adjustments to the allocation process.

“It makes no sense to allocate H-1B on a first-come, first-served basis or, even worse, by random lottery — as occurs when the program is immediately oversubscribed,” it said.

Even as Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen MLA Mumtaz Ahmed Khan was sworn in as the pro-tem Speaker of the newly-constituted Telangana state assembly on Wednesday, suspense continues over the selection of the new Speaker and deputy speaker which will happen on Thursday.

Khan, a senior MLA from Yakutpura assembly constituency, was administered oath as pro-tem Speaker by Governor E S L Narasimhan at Raj Bhavan at a simple ceremony.Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, MIM president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi and several TRS and MIM legislators, besides officials and MIM party workers attended the function.

Khan would, in turn, administer oath of office to the newly-elected MLAs in the assembly which would commence its operations at 11.05 am on Thursday.After all the MLAs take their oath, the pro-tem Speaker would initiate the process for nominations to the regular Speaker post.

So far, the TRS chief has not yet decided on whom he should declare as the Speaker. Several MLAs who were sounded to ascend the Speaker’s chair reportedly expressed their reluctance to accept the post because of the jinx attached to it. Whoever becomes the Speaker would lose his immediate next elections.

However, KCR has already zeroed in on some names like Pocharam Srinivas Reddy, Padma Devender Reddy and Eatala Rajender.

“Once KCR takes a decision, nobody can reject the post,” a party leader said.

The election of the Speaker will take place on Friday. The newly-elected speaker will conduct the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting after the house is adjourned.

On January 19, the Governor will address a joint session of the state assembly and council. The next day, the House will introduce motion of thanks to the Governor’s address and adopt the same.