As the clock ticks towards the Telangana Assembly elections scheduled for November 30, 2023, the state’s political landscape is witnessing significant shifts and realignments. These changes suggest a looming intense battle, primarily between the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and the Congress, with other parties recalibrating their strategies in this dynamic electoral environment.
The week preceding the announcement was marked by pivotal developments. The Telangana TDP, led by Kasani Gnaneshwar, announced its decision to abstain from the elections, a move made after Gnaneshwar’s meeting with TDP national president N. Chandrababu Naidu, who was then detained in Rajahmundry jail over the Skill Development scam. Gnaneshwar’s subsequent resignation and his joining the BRS left the TDP directionless just before the polls.
In another major shift, Y.S. Sharmila, the chief of the YSR Telangana Party, declared her party’s withdrawal from the election race. This decision marked a significant retreat from her previous stance of potentially contesting in all 119 constituencies, following unfruitful discussions with AICC leaders.
The Congress, under the leadership of TPCC president A. Revanth Reddy, is making strategic moves to consolidate opposition votes. It successfully brought the Telangana Jana Samiti (TJS), led by M. Kodandaram, into its fold. The TJS, a former poll ally in the 2018 elections, is now backing the Congress.
The dynamics with the TDP are also intriguing. The TDP’s cadre and Andhra Pradesh-origin voters, disenchanted with the BRS leadership’s silence on Naidu’s arrest, are likely to lean towards the Congress. This shift could significantly impact outcomes in about 20 constituencies across the twin cities and districts like Khammam and Nizamabad.
Conversely, the Congress faces the challenge of countering the Left parties, which have decided to contest independently after talks of seat-sharing with the Congress did not materialize. The Left holds sway in regions like old Khammam and Nalgonda districts, adding another layer to the complex electoral scenario.
The BRS, led by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and key ministers like K.T. Rama Rao and T. Harish Rao, is actively wooing leaders from rival parties. High-profile defections to the BRS, including former Minister Nagam Janardhan Reddy and others, showcase the party’s strategy to absorb influential leaders from the Congress and the BJP.
Simultaneously, the BRS is targeting aspirants from these parties who were denied tickets, encouraging them to contest as independents or ‘rebels’, aiming to split votes of their former parties.
Meanwhile, the BJP seems to be grappling with internal strife and the threat of desertions, as evidenced by the turmoil following its candidate list announcement. The party, rather than posing a formidable challenge, appears to be focused on preventing further defections and appeasing dissatisfied factions within.
In the upcoming weeks, Telangana is likely to witness more political fluctuations, as parties engage in a high-stakes game of alliance-building, strategic defections, and vote-bank calculations. This election, with its changing dynamics and unexpected twists, promises to be a riveting contest, primarily between the BRS and the Congress, with significant implications for the state’s political future.
