It has been a long time since one has heard about Prof M Kodandaram, former Osmania University professor and president of Telangana Jana Samithi (TJS).
After his desperate attempts to win the MLC seat from the graduates’ constituency of Warangal-Khammam and Nalgonda, Kodandaram has gone into a virtual oblivion.
He has no leaders or cadre support to take up any programmes against the Telangana Rasthtra Samithi government.
Except an occasional appearance at Dharna Chowk or a meeting of Left groups, Kodandaram is nowhere to be seen.
Once a popular figure by spearheading the Telangana movement in the capacity of the chairman of Telangana Joint Action Committee, Kodandaram is more or less a forgotten figure in the state politics.
Yet, he tries to give an impression that he still has the fighting spirit and his party can emerge as an alternative to the TRS. This is despite the fact that he or his party has no action plan against the government, while the BJP and the Congress are going all out to prove their strength.
There were reports in the past that Kodandaram might merge his TJS with the Congress party and get an MLA ticket. But he denied the same and declared that he would go independently and his party would maintain its identity.
Now, the latest speculation in the social media is that Kodandaram is planning to merge his party with Aam Admi Party.
“There is no question of merging the TJS with AAP, though we have no objection to work with any like-minded party,” he said.
Interestingly, Kodandaram spoke in favour of power star and Jana Sena Party chief Pawan Kalyan.
“He has never opposed Telangana nor has he obstructed the formation of separate state. We can work with him,” he said.
At the same time, he made it clear that his party won’t join hands with YSR Telangana party headed by Y S Sharmila, who had once strongly opposed Telangana state.
But the question is who is willing to join hands with Kodandaram, who is now a spent force in Telangana politics?