Leave Owaisi’s AIMIM, We'll Support You: BJP Offer to KCR 48 Hours Before Telangana Election Results

Hyderabad: Hinting that it is open to extending post-poll support to TRS leader K Chandrashekar Rao in Telangana, the BJP on Sunday asked the caretaker CM to ditch Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM first.

Speaking to News18, Telangana BJP chief K Laxman said no government can be formed in Telangana without the saffron party’s support.

“The TRS has to make its stand clear. If the TRS aligns with Majlis (AIMIM), there is no question of the BJP extending support to it. BJP will support non-Congress, non-Majlis party. The final decision will be taken by Amit Shah and Narendra Modi, but no party will get clear majority in Telangana," Laxman said.

The offer is likely to bolster Congress and TDP’s claim of the TRS being a ‘B-team’ of the BJP. The saffron party had also made a similar charge against KCR, accusing him of colluding with the ‘Mahakutami’ or grand alliance of the Congress and TDP.

Owaisi had earlier said that his party would win the seats that fall in Hyderabad, while the government would be formed by KCR again. He, however, said his party would not join the government.

The exit polls have been almost unanimous in predicting that KCR’s gamble of advancing the assembly polls will pay off and he will retain power. Republic TV and Times Now forecast that his party would win 50-65 and 66 seats in the 119-member assembly. TV9 Telugu and India Today forecast a tally between 75-85 and 75-91 for the ruling party respectively. Some exit polls saw a tighter battle between the TRS and the Congress-TDP combine.

The counting of votes would be taken up on December 11.