Telangana Election Result Is A Watershed Moment For Congress - NDTV

Hyderabad:

Although the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) scooped a triumph successful the Munugode by-election aft a fierce neck-and-neck conflict with the BJP, the existent communicative from the bypoll was that of the Congress.

In a authorities that was erstwhile a large root of its electoral strength, powering its 2 consecutive presumption astatine the centre successful 2004 and 2009, the result of the elections showcase the party's downward spiral.

Despite erstwhile Congress main Sonia Gandhi often being credited with the enactment of Telangana - adjacent by TRS person and Chief Minister KCR - the Congress was incapable to people governmental gains retired of it successful 2014, aft Telangana was carved retired of Andhra Pradesh.

The choler of the authorities being divided and losing Hyderabad ensured the Congress was wiped retired successful Andhra Pradesh arsenic well.

In the 2018 Telangana elections, the enactment won 19 assembly seats retired of 117. Uttam Kumar Reddy became an MP and discontinue arsenic MLA successful 2019. The aforesaid year, 12 MLAs shifted to the ruling TRS that already had a brute majority, leaving the Congress with conscionable six seats.

The rebels divided the legislative party, frankincense avoiding penalties nether the anti-defection law. The Congress stood humiliated arsenic it mislaid its absorption enactment presumption successful the assembly.

It was successful this mounting that Munugode began to look arsenic a trial lawsuit for the nationalist enactment to beryllium that it was inactive successful the reckoning successful the state.

Munugode was a Congress stronghold, won by Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy successful 2018. Mr Reddy discontinue the party, jumping vessel to the BJP successful August this year.

The Congress chose Palvai Sravanthi, whose begetter had served the country for a agelong time. They besides hoped the 1.2 lakh women voters would enactment her astatine a clip erstwhile the TRS and BJP were seen betting large connected liquor.

But up against the TRS and BJP, the Congress had nary wealth to spend. The attraction of its enactment was divided betwixt the bypoll and Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra that passed done the authorities a week earlier the elections.

Despite being successful the state, Rahul Gandhi stayed distant from the Munugode campaign. Senior leaders dismissed it arsenic "only a bypoll" - a crisp opposition to the TRS, which fought arsenic though its government's endurance depended connected it.

Even with the disclaimer that a bypoll cannot beryllium taken arsenic a trendsetter for an assembly election, with the Congress a distant 3rd successful Munugode, it appears arsenic though the enactment volition suffer the communicative of adjacent being successful the contention to signifier the authorities successful 2023.

Political analysts accidental what worked for the TRS was teaming up with the Communist Party of India (CPI) successful an assembly wherever the Left enactment has sizeable influence.

Anger against the erstwhile MLA Komatireddy Rajagopal for switching sides besides helped the TRS arsenic it gained the votes of those who wanted to spot him defeated.

Locals accidental the votes Mr Rajagopal got were not due to the fact that of the BJP, but due to the fact that of his ain illustration and the goodwill helium earned with generous organisation of money.

Many accidental if Mr Rajagopal had contested erstwhile again arsenic a Congress campaigner oregon an Independent, the TRS could not person won.

For the TRS, it is simply a treble win. They managed to support the BJP astatine bay. Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy who was a large power successful Nalgonda on with his member Komatireddy Venkat Reddy was chopped to size and the Congress is besides apt to instrumentality stringent action, possibly adjacent expel the rebel's sibling, a elder person and MP.

The BJP excessively is improbable to beryllium excessively unhappy, adjacent arsenic it mislaid lone aft having fixed a bully fight. They managed to travel 2nd adjacent without a important cadre oregon leaders successful Munugode, conscionable by banking connected a person who could sway voters connected his own.

That would assistance them physique the communicative and cognition that they are successful the moving to situation the TRS successful the 2023 election, having near the Congress acold behind.

A triumph nevertheless could person fixed the BJP a large boost, gathering up momentum for the enactment to pull and induct caller endowment from different parties, making up for its deficiency of cadre and person spot successful the districts.