Hyderabad: The Indian National Congress (INC) played a significant role in the annexation of Hyderabad state into the Union of India in 1948. Th
Hyderabad: The Indian National Congress (INC) played a significant role in the annexation of Hyderabad state into the Union of India in 1948. The INC, commonly known as the Indiramma Party or Congress, also played a crucial role in the creation of the separate state of Telangana from the erstwhile state of Andhra Pradesh. Despite such significant contributions, the party has for long been struggling to establish a strong political foothold in Telangana.
The long wait seems to be paying off. Ahead of the 2023 assembly polls, the party has witnessed a phoenix rise, reinvigorating itself right from its roots. The Congress Party has consolidated its support base in all 33 districts of the state. The Party, which was in a way written off for drawing a blank in almost every by-election held in the state, is back into reckoning as a formidable political force. The phoenix rise of the party has helped in reviving faith in the public, thanks to the dynamics of the democratic political setup that turned in its favor.
It has been able to regain its lost ground. Genuine pre-poll surveys and political pundits have been hinting at a landslide in favor of the grand old party. Key segments of the electorate are out to embrace the party that was instrumental in the grant of statehood to Telangana. It remains to be seen how the Congress leadership could cash in on the people’s craving for a change in guard.
The Congress Party inflicted a crushing defeat in both the Telugu States in 2014. While AP sought to punish the party leadership for the division of the state, Telangana was forced to dump it with the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) emerging as the dominant political force in the new state. The TRS led by K. Chandrashekhar Rao, has won two consecutive state elections. The BRS was instrumental in shaping the political landscape of Telangana.
Besides this, a variety of factors, including regional politics, leadership issues, and the rise of other regional parties, impacted the electoral prospects of the Congress Party in Telangana. The party failed to win even for a single time in as many as 31 of the 119 seats in the state. The BRS, too, could not make any headway with 17 seats. The Congress party’s efforts to regain its lost ground in Telangana are fruitful to a major extent. Its electoral pact with the Communist Party of India may help it a bit in the strong holds of the left parties.
To be precise, the party has come a long way from being in a weak position a decade ago to a position of strength. Ahead of the assembly polls, Andhra Pradesh Congress Chief Gidugu Rudra Raju exuded confidence that the Congress would win an absolute majority in Telangana. The Congress nominees are in the fray for 118 constituencies, voting for which is scheduled to take place on November 30. The counting of votes and declaration of results for the Telangana assembly poll are slated for December 3.
The mood is upbeat in the Telangana Congress. The final outcome, however, will be determined by the voter on election day. The Congress Party has witnessed a substantial swing in its favor, according to the ABP C-Voter survey. The party secured 28.3 percent of votes in the last assembly elections, but the current projection suggests that it is likely to receive 39.4 percent of the votes, which reflects a remarkable swing in terms of seats. Its tally is certain to be up by 33 seats
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