Three Musketeers of Telangana at loggerheads with one another

With its recent victory and getting power at the state level, the Congress is jubilant and exudes exuberance. It hopes to raise its tally from three to double-digit figures.

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Electoral injuries of BRS

In 2019, the TRS (it had not become BRS by then) comfortably won half of the seats in the state, except in the north Telangana districts of Karimnagar, Adilabad, and Nizamabad. However, the BJP’s victory was attributed to several local and fluke reasons at that time.

This time, BRS lost power in the state and found it difficult to field suitable, winnable candidates. At least four of the nine sitting MPs are rumoured to be joining the BJP or the Congress and have already expressed their inability to contest in BRS’ name.

The BJP is ahead of its two rivals in announcing candidates. It has already announced ten candidates, starting from the first list of nine on 2 March. Apart from the three sitting candidates, G Kishan Reddy from Secunderabad, Bandi Sanjay Kumar from Karimnagar and D Aravind from Nizamabad, the first list included four others.

Interestingly, out of the four candidates, three (Konda Vishweshwar Reddy from Chevella, BB Patil from Zahirabad Boora Narsaiah Goud from Bhongir, P Bharath from Nagar Kurnool, Eatela Rajendar from Malkajgiri) jumped in from other parties; Madhavi Latha is a novice to politics, though a known Hindutva rabble-rouser. Her candidature is no match for Asaduddin Owaisi, who may easily be returned the winner for the fifth time.
Again, on 15 March, it announced another six names: DK Aruna from Mahabubnagar, M Raghunandan Rao from Medak, Godam Nagesh from Adilabad, Gomasa Srinivas from Peddapalli, Prof. Ajmeera Seetharam Naik from Mahabubabad, and S Saidi Reddy from Nalgonda.

Again, defectors dominated the list, with a sitting MP denied the ticket. Out of the 15 names announced so far, 10 joined the party a few days ago or at least not before 2021. Currently, only two constituencies, Warangal and Khammam, await candidates, and rumours are that prospective candidates are to be poached from BRS.

Related: BJP’s Vijay Sankalp Yatra

Challenges BJP, Congress face

However, the BJP’s campaign for this election began much earlier than all the rivals. The Vijay Sankalp Yatra, an open electioneering campaign involving canvassing vehicles, started on 27 February. Launching the programme, Kishan Reddy said they would win 17 seats.

In the subsequent two weeks, in addition to announcing the lists, the party kept the fire burning with visits from bigwigs, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.

Not to be pushed back, the Congress also began its campaign on par with the BJP, particularly in sound bites. But it has a formidable challenge of raising its strength from the present three to a somewhat respectable figure, notwithstanding its ambition of making it double-digit.

Three sitting Congress MPs (A Revanth Reddy from Malkajgiri, N Uttam Kumar Reddy from Nalgonda, and Komatireddy Venkat Reddy from Bhongir) are now in the government, and the party is forced to find new candidates.

Thus, their first list announced on 8 March contained the name of an alternative leader, K Raghuveer Reddy, son of former minister K Jana Reddy, for Nalgonda. The three other seats announced were Vamshichand Reddy from Mahabubnagar, Suresh Shetkar from Zahirabad and Balaram Naik from Mahabubabad.

With most sitting MPs not inclined to contest again, the BRS finds itself in a tight spot. Strangely, the party that aspired to become a national party fielding candidates all over or leading a third alternative, cannot retain its seat strength. Though it announced its first list of four candidates on 4 March, it retained only two sitting members and changed one.

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Defections on anvil?

There is speculation that some of its sitting MPs and prospective candidates might defect to the BJP or Congress. A former party MLA who met Amit Shah was seen as a prospective BJP candidate from Warangal, and a top BRS leader wanted to take him to KCR to restrain him from defecting. BJP cadres intercepted the car and pulled the former legislator out to stop him from going back. The pathetic scene of the former MLA, manhandled and shirt torn, indicated the state of the BRS in Telangana.

Two days after the first list, BSP supremo Dr R S Praveen Kumar met K Chandrashekar Rao, and all indications of an electoral alliance emerged. But the next day, Mayawati ruled out any poll alliance with any party anywhere in the country, and Praveen Kumar’s ambition to contest with the help of BRS is now doubtful.

As of March 15, BRS could manage to announce its candidates for 11 seats (Adilabad – Athram Sakku, Peddapalli – Koppula Eshwar, Karimnagar – B Vinod Kuma, Nizamabad – Bajireddy Govardhan, Zahirabad – Gali Anil Kumar, Medak – Shambhipur Raju, Malkajgiri – R Laxma Reddy, Chevella – Kasani Gyaneshwar, Warangal – Dr Kadiyam Kavya, Mahabubabad – Maloth Kavitha and Khammam – Nama Nageshwar Rao) leaving Mahabubnagar, Nagarkurnool, Nalgonda, Bhongir, Secunderabad and Hyderabad to be announced. Out of the nine, four sitting candidates were replaced and a few defectors, including the state president of Telangana TDP, who joined the party recently.

Though the TDP had entered into an alliance with the BJP and announced its partnership in the NDA, Chadrababu Naidu and TDP leaders would not be able to canvass for their alliance in Telangana.

Whom Telangana voters favour among these three musketeers is a million-dollar question.

(The writer is Editor, Veekshanam, Telugu monthly journal of political economy and society. Views are personal.)