BRS banks on course correction, poll management in final push for Telangana polls

In its final push before the elections, the BRS has effected a course correction, with the focus now on targeted community outreach, and a robust on-ground election management system.

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The change within

The course correction started from within, with party leaders attempting to address one core area of concern at a time.

In a bid to counter the perception about “inaccessibility” — not just to voters, but also its own cadres — BRS leaders have been reaching out to booth-level workers and assuring an open channel of communication.

In a purported audio clipping of BRS working president KT Rama Rao, or KTR, that has gone viral, the minister is heard promising cadres that he will stay in Sircilla — his constituency — at least two days a week, with the added assurance that “what has happened in the past won’t repeat”.

Fully aware that anger over unemployment is its biggest challenge and the prime factor fueling anti-incumbency, KTR has been holding discussions with delegations of job aspirants and unemployed youth.

The new outreach brought KTR to Ashok Nagar in Hyderabad — the hub of entrance exam coaching classes — where he interacted with government job aspirants and promised to visit them post-election to put together a job calendar.

“The Congress was banking on unemployed youth to consolidate entirely in its favour with joblessness as its pitch. With consistent outreach effort, we are now convincing them to come back to BRS,” a senior leader of the party leading election management efforts told South First.

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Targeting vote-blocs

It isn’t just job aspirants. BRS is also keen on ensuring that no single community consolidates in favour of the Congress, thus increasing its vote share.

KTR’s recent visit to the Calvary temple foundation church — his very first visit to the congregation that claims to have over three lakh members — was another outreach attempt aimed at convincing Christian voters to stay with the BRS.

While the party has estimated that it is set to lose a considerably high vote share among the Muslim community, outreach efforts have only intensified. Other than door-to-door campaigns, outreach through religious outfits, and endorsement by the AIMIM, several Muslim social media influencers seem to have been brought on board for collaborations.

These social media influencers, running pages specific to districts and regions, have begun placing content on their pages appealing to Muslim voters to choose the BRS.

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From reaction to action

Avoiding the narrative trap set by the Opposition, which had compelled it to be in a reaction mode, the BRS is now being proactive.

“Our high points are water, power and welfare schemes. We are going to put together a presentation of all things we have achieved under the BRS and ask people to vote for the work we have done,” said another BRS election strategist.

The result of this thought was KTR’s “Trailblazer Telangana” presentation in Hyderabad on Thursday, 23 November, that highlighted the progress achieved under Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao.

While leaders and cadres are set to take the “Trailblazer Telangana” story forward, the party’s poll managers on the ground are expected to pull their weight in the last three days running up to polling day.

The presence of local leaders who understand the constituency, assisted by an organisational structure that is active across the state, is the BRS’ biggest strength.

“The Congress has been compelled to import election managers for constituencies from other states because they don’t have competent leaders here. The insider always has an advantage over an outsider,” a BRS leader said.

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KCR’s party has carefully chosen constituency in-charges who have managed polls in the same seat previously.

“All of Congress’ prominent leaders in Telangana have been fielded as candidates and they have to manage everything by themselves. But we have a dual approach system because our poll managers and candidates are different people. While the candidate focuses on addressing rallies and campaigning, the poll managers supervise door-to-door outreach, feedback systems, constant monitoring of changing trends, and counter-systems that need to be put in place,” the BRS leader pointed out.

The BRS poll managers in every constituency are expected to continue to work till end of voting on 30 November.

After 10 years in government, the BRS is aware of anti-incumbency being an impediment in its third attempt at power. The party’s final push in its campaign is aimed at ensuring anti-incumbency sentiment doesn’t actually turn into an anti-BRS vote.