LS POLLS

Analysis | Cong, BJP onslaught ensures BRS death in Telangana

Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) swallowed equal share of Lok Sabha seats from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS, originally TRS) reducing its tally to zero in Telangana. The BJP, which had four seats in the present Lok Sabha, increased its strength to eight this time. The Congress, too, improved its tally to eight from three in 2019.

The All India Majlis-e- Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) retained Hyderabad which it has been traditionally representing in the Lok Sabha. The BRS, which had nine out of the total 17 LS seats in Telangana in 2019, was completely wiped out now.

The Lok Sabha elections, which came six months after Congress's Anumula Revanth Reddy took the reins of the state, gave the party an opportunity to get people's feedback on its government's performance. Congress came to power in December 2023 for the first time since the creation of Telangana through bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh in 2014. Though the Congress claimed credit for granting statehood to Telangana, it faced unceremonious defeat in the 2014 elections. The whole credit for realising Telangana state dream was given to K Chandrashekhar Rao's BRS and the party won two consecutive terms.

However, the result is not on the expected lines for Revanth, who was hoping to get at least 13 out of the 17 seats. It was with this belief he challenged BRS working president KT Rama Rao to win at least one LS seat. Also, hours before the exit polls on June 2, Revanth in informal chat with mediapersons had stated that Congress-led INDIA would come to power at the Centre and he would bargain for at least five berths in the Cabinet.

His prediction on BRS losing ground came true but the new worry for him began with the BJP's growth in Telangana.

The strengthening of BJP will be a thorn in the flesh for Revanth even though he is happy to see the BRS's fall. He is aware of the fact that the BJP would continue to grow as a strong contender in 2028 Assembly elections.

He had addressed Prime Minister Narendra Modi 'bada bhai' (elder brother) during the latter's official visit to Hyderabad and had sought help for the state. Within days, Modi attacked the Revanth Reddy government for coming to power with promises that cannot be fulfilled.

Elections to civic bodies, including Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, municipalities and panchayats, are lined up next year. The present performance in the Lok Sabha elections will rejuvenate the BJP cadres. If NDA forms the government at the Centre for the third time, chances are that at least three MPs would be inducted into the Cabinet. Modi charisma among youth is also significant in the urban areas of Hyderabad, Nizamabad, Karimnagar and Huzurabad.

Reacting to the results, BRS leader Vinod Kumar said, "In a Lok Sabha election, people look for a party that comes to power. Since we are not in power in the state, people may have thought that our voice would be weak, compared to the two national parties. What you should see is the fact that none of the two national parties got good majority".
With the BJP's emergence, politics in Telangana is expected to change.

There are indications of Chandrashekhar Rao urging his nephew and former irrigation and finance minister T Harish Rao to take care of the party matters. While KCR's son KT Rama Rao is the party working president, Harish often serves as the election strategist and trouble-shooter for the party.

Analysts observe that Revanth Reddy may also settle his grudge against KCR for sending him to jail in the sensational cash-for-vote scam in 2016.

If the present trend continues, the next elections would be fought between Congress and the BJP in Telangana and the BRS may become politically irrelevant. Ironically, it was the BRS that had made efforts soon after 2014 and 2019 elections to decimate the Congress.