BRS regains ground as Congress completes 1,000 days in office: Chanakya Strategies survey

A Chanakya Strategies survey indicates that the BRS is regaining ground in Telangana, with 40.7 per cent of voters preferring the party against 37.1 per cent for Congress. It also highlights anti-incumbency, unemployment and farmers’ concerns as key issues.

Hyderabad: The BRS appears to be regaining ground in Telangana, with a recent Chanakya Strategies survey indicating growing public preference for the party as the Congress government completes 1,000 days in office. In the next Assembly elections, around 40.7 per cent of voters said they would vote for the BRS, while 37.1 per cent would vote for the ruling Congress. The BJP has been confined to third spot with just 14.1 per cent of voters, while others enjoyed a mere 8.1 per cent vote share.

According to the survey, 53 per cent of respondents preferred the 10-year BRS rule, against 36 per cent who favoured the present Congress government. Among Gen-Z voters, 50 per cent reportedly preferred a return of the BRS. The survey was conducted across Telangana over two months to assess political and public sentiment, ahead of the Congress government’s 1,000-day rule.

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The survey, which was released by Chanakya Strategies representatives on Tuesday, found that the BRS graph had improved compared with the 2023 Assembly elections, when Congress secured power with only about a one per cent vote-share advantage, according to the claims cited by the party.

It also indicated that anti-incumbency against Congress had not fully translated into support for the BRS, with Gen-Z voters remaining undecided and looking for an alternative. The survey identified unfulfilled promises, unemployment, farmers’ concerns over Rythu Bharosa and Rythu Bima, and dissatisfaction among women over promised financial assistance and other benefits as key sources of discontent with the government.

Chanakya Strategies attributed its 2023 defeat of the BRS partly to the failure to replace some sitting MLAs facing local anti-incumbency. It argued that replacing such candidates could help consolidate Gen-Z and floating voters behind the party.

The survey also suggested a decline in the BJP’s support, particularly in the Greater Hyderabad region, while the BRS was projected to make substantial gains in the forthcoming municipal elections by clinching Cyberabad and Malkajgiri Municipal Corporations with a comfortable majority. The Congress is likely to win the GHMC elections with the support of AIMIM.

It further predicted BRS victories in the Khammam, Nalgonda and Warangal Graduates’ MLC elections, with Anugula Rakesh Reddy tipped to win from Warangal.

The survey indicated that the Congress still retained support among BPL voters and cited free bus travel for women, new ration cards, Indiramma houses and free power up to 200 units among factors working in its favour.