The Last Day Of Campaigning, Fingers Crossed!

The high-pitched campaigning by candidates of all the political parties would come to an end this evening in Telangana. The polls scheduled day after tomorrow will see the voters choosing amidst candidates of three major parties – BJP, BRS and the Congress. In some select constituencies of the Old City, the voters will have the privilege of picking among four parties, including the MIM.

Telangana is witnessing a triangular fight with the ruling BRS aiming at a hat-trick. Having won the majority of the seats during the last two times, BRS president K. Chandrasekhar Rao is slogging to register victory for a third time too. However, the BRS seems to have not much support from the public as the party had fallen short in keeping up its promises on generating employment, construction of double-bedroom houses, making a Dalit chief minister, providing more succor to the farmers reeling under drought. 

In a setback to the BRS, the EC had asked for stopping disbursement of Rythu Bandhu amount to the farmers, a scheme which is considered to provide relief to farmers suffering from losses. However,  many farmers said they were not happy about non-waiver of farm loans than non-disbursement of Rythu Bandhu. 

The Congress seems to have an edge over the BRS and BJP, after branding them as two sides of the same coin. Further, the Congress also highlighted the BRS’ unkept promises in various sectors through its captivating digital and cutout campaigning. The leaders explained the voters how the BRS chief benefited from the multi-crore Kaleshwaram project which developed cracks and also how land was encroached in the name of registration through Dharani portal. Voting to the BRS will leave you landless, said TPCC chief Revanth Reddy. 

Meanwhile, the Congress’ Six Guarantees has gained immense support of people at the grassroots-level. The benefits promised to women and farmers have already helped in wooing many voters, sources said.

The BJP, which is trying to gain a foothold in the Telugu state, has promised to make an OBC the chief minister, if it is voted to power. Further, the party leaders have been lambasting the BRS government for its rampant corruption and ‘family rule’ like the Congress. Only KCR and his family members benefited from separate Telangana while the families of martyrs had been neglected, they contend.

Buoyed by their victories in the Dubbak and Huzurabad bypolls and then a better performance in the GHMC elections, the BJP upped the ante to woo the voters saying that the BRS and Congress have a tacit understanding, as part of which KCR will be CM in Telangana and Rahul Gandhi, the PM at the Centre, BJP top leader Nadda said. 

However, once KCR’s daughter K. Kavitha was named as one of the accused in the Delhi Liquor Scam, the Congress started countering the BJP saying the BJP and BRS have a secret pact as part of which Kavitha is roaming free, without being arrested.

On the other hand, the BJP is also trying to secure the settlers’ votes too by leaving eight seats to its alliance partner Jana Sena. It hopes to get those votes by putting Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan as the front man. 

Meanwhile, the MIM is contesting from nine seats, all of which are its traditional strongholds. The Muslim party has also been trying to distance itself from the BRS after there is buzz of secret understanding between the ruling party and the BJP.

However, in Nampally, the Congress has fielded a strong candidate Feroz Khan who is likely to give a tough fight to AIMIM candidate former Mayor Mohd Majid Hussain.

Parties and Seats

The BRS is contesting in all the 119 seats while the Congress is fighting in 118 leaving Kothagudem seat to its electoral partner, CPI.

Meanwhile, the BJP has fielded candidates in 111 constituencies, leaving the other eight seats to its alliance partner, Jana Sena headed by Pawan Kalyan.

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is contesting 107 seats and the CPI (Marxist) is contesting 19 seats.