After a breather in Assembly polls, Congress shifts focus to Parliament elections

The Congress is aiming at bagging both Adilabad and Peddapalli Parliament segments

Adilabad: After finding a breather in elections to Telangana Legislative Assembly, the Congress is now focusing on ensuing polls to Parliament slated for 2024. It is aiming at bagging both Adilabad and Peddapalli Parliament segments.

Significantly, the Congress party bagged four segments in erstwhile Adilabad district in the recent Assembly elections as against a single seat in 2018. The party’s nominees won from Khanapur Assembly constituency in Adilabad Parliament segment, while the party candidates won in Chennur, Mancherial and Bellampalli that fall in Peddapalli Parliamentary constituency.

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The results of the 2023 polls literally breathed life into the party which was struggling to save its existence in this region since 2004. Evidently, the party achieved an average share of votes from 36 percent in 2018 to 57 percent in 2023 in Mancherial district, comprising Mancherial, Bellampalli and Chennur Assembly segments that are a part of Peddapalli Parliament segment.

Seethakka to face a tough task

Buoyed by the encouraging performance of the party in the Assembly elections, the Congress is gearing up to repeat the similar show in Parliament polls. The party has appointed ministers Sridhar Babu and Seethakka as in-charges of Peddapalli and Adilabad Parliament constituencies respectively. While Sridhar Babu enjoys a hold over Peddapalli Parliament segment, Seethakka will face a tough task to improve party’s prospects in polls to Adilabad Parliament constituency.

The Congress party’s average share of votes has dropped from 32 percent in 2018 to 20 percent in 2023 in seven Assembly segments that form Adilabad Parliament segment, worrying the cadres. It is going to see stiff competition from Bharatiya Janata Party, which bagged four segments out of the total seven seats in this Parliament constituency.

Nominees of the BJP won from Sirpur (T), Adilabad, Nirmal and Mudhole Assembly segments, while BRS registered victory from Boath and Asifabad constituencies. Internal bickering among the leaders of the party and lack of cadres in these segments are going to pose a challenge for Seethakka, who toured several parts of erstwhile Adilabad district in the past.

Major poll issues

Meanwhile, the long pending Armoor-Adilabad railway line via Nirmal and revival of Cement Corporation of India’s sick unit in Adilabad will become major issues in the Parliament polls for political parties. The BJP promised to reopen the sick unit of CCI in 2019 Parliament polls, but did not keep it so far. The railway line continues to be a mirage.