The BRS party, with a strong base in the core North Telangana districts of Karimnagar, Nizamabad, Adilabad, and Warangal, suffered a significant setback in the recent assembly elections in this region. This area has traditionally been the heartland of the Telangana movement, staunchly supporting BRS. However, it has now shifted allegiance from BRS to the Congress. Examining the numbers reveals the extent of this shift. Out of the total 44 seats in this region, BRS secured 38 in the 2018 elections. In the current elections, however, this number has fallen to 11 seats.
Overconfidence affected BRS in North Telangana
BRS holds a strong position in North Telangana and the Central Telangana district of Medak, not only during the Telangana movement but also in the 2014 and 2018 elections. However, its influence is comparatively weaker in the southern Telangana districts of Khammam, Nalgonda, and Mahabubnagar. Despite this, in the 2018 assembly elections, BRS performed well in Mahabunagar and Nalgonda, securing 13 out of 14 and 9 out of 12 seats in these districts, respectively. Khammam remains the only district where BRS has struggled to establish a foothold, winning only one seat in the 2018 assembly elections, specifically the Khammam assembly segment.
After securing a second term in the 2018 assembly elections, KCR, apart from addressing public meetings and inaugurating newly constructed integrated collectorate offices, did not visit districts. It appears that there is an overconfidence that North Telangana consistently supports BRS, prompting KCR to focus more on South Telangana. Notably, when TRS transitioned to BRS, the party formation meeting took place in the South Telangana district of Khammam. Following the defection of former MP Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy to the Congress from BRS, KCR believed that holding the meeting in Khammam would contribute to strengthening the party in that region.
At one point, there were speculations that KCR might contest this time from South Telangana, possibly from Nalgonda district. These speculations arose in light of surveys suggesting that KCR recognized BRS’s weakening presence in Mahabunagar, Nalgonda, and Khammam. Therefore, there was a belief that by contesting from these areas, he could potentially enhance the party’s standing in South Telangana.
Also Read: Rahul Gandhi’s Bus Yatra: Can It Raise The Congress Graph In Northern Telangana?
How Congress emerged in North-Telangana
During the election campaign, the BRS campaign was limited to KCR public meetings and KTR road shows. In contrast, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi conducted a bus yatra in the north-Telangana region, interacting with the locals, unemployed youth, and Singaporean workers. He assured Singareni employees that their concerns would be addressed, and they wouldn’t allow Singareni privatisation if they came into power. The election results reflected the Congress party’s success in sweeping constituencies in the coal belt, including Sirpur, Bellampalli, Mancherial, Chennur, Ramgundam, Manthani, Peddapalli, Bhupalapalli, Kothagudem, and Yellandu.
Rahul’s bus yatra covered districts such as Mulugu, Bhupalapalli, Peddapalli, Karimnagar, Jagtial, and Nizamabad. During this yatra, he engaged with the public and gave them assurance based on the Congress manifesto. He visited the Kaleshwaram project, alleging that the KCR family was using it as their personal ATM. Rahul also claimed there were quality issues with the projects, leading to the sinking of the Medigadda barrage pillars.
Also Read: Telangana Elections 2023: Why Did Telangana Reject KCR’s BRS?
Before the bus yatra, Congress organised a public meeting named ‘Dalit-Girijana Dandora’ in Indravelli, part of the combined Adilabad district. Additionally, Congress held a meeting in Mancherial, also part of the combined Adilabad, with AICC President Mallikharjuna Kharge as the chief guest during CLP leader Bhatti Vikramarka Padayatra in this district. The previous year, Rahul Gandhi’s Bharath Jodo Yatra covered the combined Nizamabad district over a 70-kilometre yatra spanning two days. Compared to BRS formal meetings, Congress public meetings, and Rahul’s yatra, which include the interactive sessions, they garner attention from the masses.
These efforts resulted in significant gains for the Congress party, increasing from 5 seats in the 2018 assembly elections to securing 26 seats in the 2023 elections in North Telangana. In the latest elections, Congress secured 8 seats in Karimnagar, 4 seats in Nizamabad, 4 seats in Adilabad, and 10 seats in Warangal. The BJP also gained momentum in the assembly elections, winning seven seats in the core north-Telangana region. Although the BJP failed to secure any seats in Warangal district, they emerged victorious in Kamareddy, Nizamabad Urban, Armoor segments in the combined Nizamabad district, Sirpur, Adilabad, Mudhole, and Nirmal in the combined Adilabad district. This indicates that in North Telangana, the BJP has become a notable contender to the BRS. The BJP is now confident that they will further strengthen their position in this region by the 2023 elections.
