KCR magic fizzles out in Telangana as ‘angry’ electorate votes Congress to power
The anger of the unemployed, and that of the poor farmers who lost their land to the Kaleshwaram project and the web land portal ‘Dharani’, is said to be the main reason behind the defeat of the BRS in this election
After a decade, the magic of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) has finally fizzled out. Although his Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) managed to win 40-odd seats in the assembly polls, it is clear that widespread anger against the party has led to the Congress’ triumph in the state for the first time since its formation in 2014.
Humiliating defeat
Even though KCR boasted of forming government for a third consecutive term, he finished a humiliating third in one of the two constituencies he contested.
The anger of the unemployed, and that of the poor farmers who lost their land to the Kaleshwaram project and the web land portal ‘Dharani’, is said to be the main reason behind the defeat of the BRS in this election.
This is the worst defeat of the Telangana movement leader since he led an emotive campaign to carve out the state from a united Andhra Pradesh. The embarrassing loss of the party has now made its future unclear. It is an irony that the five-star Secretariat that KCR built will no more be managed by his party and his huge official residence, built as per his religious beliefs, would have to be vacated for the next chief minister.
Revanth Reddy in line for CM’s seat
The Congress has managed a win with enough seats to form a government, with the frontrunner for the top post being Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president A Revanth Reddy. He won from Kodangal. Reddy, however, lost to BJP candidate K Venkata Ramana Reddy in the Kamareddy constituency.
Besides Reddy, there are others in the Congress who will want to be the chief minister. The hopefuls include former PCC chief Uttam Kumar Reddy, Komati Reddy Venkata Reddy, CLP leader Bhatti Vikaramarka and Sitakka.
Poor show by BJP, Janasena Party
BJP’s Etala Rajender is trailing to KCR in Gajwel constituency. He is also lagging behind in his own constituency Huzurabad. Actor Pawan Kalyan’s Janasena Party, which contested for the first time in Telangana, fared miserably in the polls. All its eight candidates forfeited their security deposits despite an alliance with the BJP.
Shockingly, BJP’s Krishna Yadav lost in state BJP president and Union Minister G Kishan Reddy's own constituency Amberpet, although the latter campaigned for him.
Many have attributed the BJP’s poor showing to its decision to replace Bandi Sanjay with Kishan Reddy as the state party chief.
But BJP’s K Venkata Ramana Reddy won in the Kamareddy constituency, from where both KCR and Revanth Reddy had contested. Venkata Ramana Reddy had mobilised the farmers against KCR in the constituency and forced the government to withdraw the “anti-farmer” masterplan.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah campaigned for the BJP, but they could not cut much ice with the voters.
While BRS candidate and IT Minister KT Rama Rao has won in Sirisilla, many others from the party are losing. Speaker Pocharam Srinivas Reddy has won from Bansawada.
DGP suspended for meeting Revanth Reddy
Photos of the Director General of Police Anjani Kumar along with state police nodal officer Sanjay Jain and nodal officer (expenditure) Mahesh Bhagwat meeting Revanth Reddy, and a candidate with a bouquet of flowers at the latter’s Hyderabad residence, created a buzz that Revanth Reddy may be set to become the new chief minister.
The Election Commission suspended Kumar for meeting the Congress leader, stating that it was sheer violation of the model code of conduct.
