Congress dethrones KCR in Telangana

Congress dethroned Chandrasekhar Rao-led Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) which has been in power since 2014 when Telangana was granted statehood.

Till the filing of this report, the Congress has won 65 seats. The BRS, which has 101 members in the outgoing assembly, emerged victorious in 39 seats.

Congress workers raises slogans of ‘CM-CM’ in favour of state party president Revanth Reddy, as he arrived at the party office in Hyderabad after it became clear that Congress is winning the state with clear majority.

After a sweeping victory in Karnataka, Congress’ guarantees in Telangana have proved to be a game changer for the party in Telangana, India’s youngest state.

The guarantees covered cash transfers, pension schemes, free electricity, cylinders and land to a wide base of voters, from women and farmers to students and martyrs’ families. These include: the ‘Mahalakshmi’, ‘Rythu Bharosa’, ‘Gruha Jyothi’, ‘Indiramma Indlu’, ‘Yuva Vikasam’ and ‘Cheyutha’ guarantees.

Following the ‘Karnataka model’ of campaigning after its massive win in the state, Congress has promised to provide free bus travel for women in Telangana while also providing Rs 2500 to women every month under Mahalaxmi Yojana.

An LPG cylinder at Rs 500 is also among the promises under this scheme.The party has promised to provide 200 units of free electricity to every household and a pension of Rs 4,000 per month to the elderly.

The Rythu Bharosa (Farmer’s Investment Support Scheme) guarantee pledges agricultural prosperity to the State’s 58.33 lakh farmers, promising Rs15,000 annually to farmers and tenant farmers; Rs 12,000 for agricultural labourers; and a Rs 500 bonus for farmers growing paddy crops.

Under the Yuva Vikasam scheme, a Vidya Bharosa card worth Rs 5 lakh for students’ education will be provided and Telangana International Schools will be built in every division of the state.

Land and assistance of Rs 5 lakh for the houses of homeless people in the state have been promised under the Indira Amma Indlu scheme.250 square yards of land for workers involved in the Telangana movement are also included in the scheme.

Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee President, Anumula Revanth Reddy is leading from the Kamareddy and Kodangal constituencies.

Celebrations were seen outside the Congress office in Hyderabad over the party crossing the halfway mark comfortably. Party cadre chanted “Bye bye KCR”.

The Congress party, which is now in reckoning, was completely written off just six months ago. Several factors could have contributed to the Congress’s upturn: Perceived anti-incumbency at the constituency level against BRS MLAs; energy infused by the Karnataka victory in the party leaders and cadres; the BJP’s decline following the removal of Bandi Sanjay as the Telangana unit chief; and the perception that the BRS and AIMIM are in cahoots with the BJP.

Telangana went to vote on November 30. In 2018, BRS (then Telangana Rashtra Samithi) won 88 of the 119 seats and had a 47.4 per cent vote share. The Congress came a distant second with 19 seats.