2012 saw Telangana issue losing its steam

Chief Minister Reddy hit the roads with his (official) 'Indiramma Baata' programme while Leader of Opposition N Chandrababu Naidu launched a walkathon 'Vastunna...Meekosam' to "re-connect" with the people at the grass-roots level.

Jagan's younger sister Sharmila too undertook a foot march, as continuation of her jailed brother's 'Odarpu yatra' but had to abruptly abandon it because of a knee surgery.

YSRC is yet to make its mark in Telangana even as it has mustered good strength in Andhra-Rayalaseema regions. The party's fortunes in Telangana hinge on the stand it would take on the statehood issue.

But in-fighting among leaders is one factor that is haunting YSRC right now. With supremo Jagan in jail and no leader of equal stature in command, there is none to end the internal squabbles in almost all the constituencies.

TRS benefited politically, encashing the so-called "Telangana sentiment" in the by-elections but it also lost some credibility with its leader K Chandrasekhar Rao's repeated claims on securing statehood for the region proving hollow.

TRS' move to merge with Congress, in bargain for Telangana, only earned it disgrace.

BJP, on the other hand, was seemingly bettering its position in Telangana, holding out hope that it alone could secure statehood for the region, given its previous track record of creating smaller states like Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Uttarkhand.

By winning two by-elections, the BJP proved this point.

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