- Congress bets big on Telangana voters’ desire for change & anger against corruption
- We are definitely very close but can’t be sure of an outright victory. That’s why Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, and Mallikarjun Kharge are making that last-ditch effort, says a senior leader.
- In Delhi, Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha, and Uttar Pradesh, the Congress has been relegated to a marginal force compared with powerful regional parties.
- For nearly three years between 2015 and 2018, the Congress party had no significant or large public rally in Telangana.
- After Andhra Pradesh was bifurcated, the Congress strategy of claiming credit for forming the new state backfired.
- Congress leaders such as state vice-president Mallu Ravi point out that the party’s district-level organization was still strong despite some confusion and silence at the top.
The Congress leadership has doubtless achieved a huge success in Telangana by pushing aside the resurgent BJP to become the main challenger to the incumbent K. Chandrashekhar Rao government, but the electoral arithmetic suggests an arduous last lap if it has to emerge victorious.
Though Rahul Gandhi has been constantly referring to the “punctured tyres” of the BJP that pushed it out of the race, and claiming with certainty that the Congress is going to kick out the “corrupt” KCR government as well, the Congress needs an exceptionally huge swing to derail the BRS juggernaut. In the 2018 Assembly elections, the Congress polled a mere 28.43 percent vote against the BRS (then TRS), which bagged a whopping 46.87 percent.
In Delhi, Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha, and Uttar Pradesh, the Congress has been relegated to a marginal force compared with powerful regional parties
For nearly three years between 2015 and 2018, the Congress party had no significant or large public rally in Telangana. In 2014, K Chandrashekar Rao became the chief minister of India’s newest state, and “our leaders almost went into silent mode as they feared a backlash if they tried to question KCR in those emotive times,” Congress worker Ramavath Ramalu said at Gandhi Bhavan, the state headquarters of the party. Five years later, the Congress has re-emerged as a threat to Rao’s Bharat Rashtra Samithi. By Congress standards, it is a rare achievement.
After Andhra Pradesh was bifurcated, the Congress strategy of claiming credit for forming the new state backfired. Rao, who went on a hunger strike for Telangana, swept to power. More than a hundred Congress leaders, including former state chiefs and former ministers, left the grand old party to join Telangana Rashtra Samithi, which has now been renamed BRS.
The Congress’ comeback suffered a jolt in the 2018 Telangana election in which it joined hands with N Chandrababu Naidu’s Telegu Desam Party, which commands some seats in the Seemandhra region.
Congress leaders such as state vice-president Mallu Ravi point out that the party’s district-level organization was still strong despite some confusion and silence at the top. In 2021, the Congress appointed Revanth Reddy, 54, as state party chief. Congress leaders said that Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra has given a boost to the party organization.
The Karnataka elections, too, can create an impact for the Congress in some southern districts, political analysts said. “If you look at the larger picture, the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) going out of power in entire south India, Congress winning back a key state in this region. All these can help create a narrative,” said Gaud.
(With inputs from agencies)
