Karnataka’s results will not have impact on Telangana

The political equations, issues and the circumstances in Karnataka and Telangana are extremely different and the Congress leaders assertion of repeating the success story in Telangana is being dismissed as mere empty talk

Hyderabad: The State Unit of the Congress is understandably jubilant over its party’s win in Karnataka and the utter euphoria has also made the Congress leaders claim that they would repeat a similar performance in Telangana too. But the fact remains that the political equations, issues and the circumstances in Karnataka and Telangana are extremely different and the Congress leaders assertion of repeating the success story in Telangana is being dismissed as mere empty talk.

Firstly, the Congress was the only leading party which could take on the ruling BJP and The Janata Dal (Secular) led by HD Kumaraswamy was on the fringes in the electoral battle and it was only nursing the hope of being an important player in the event of both the BJP and Congress ending with equal number of seats. The ruling BJP faced many an issue ranging from price rise to the corruption charges. Prominent among the issue that proved negative for the BJP were its image of getting ‘40 per cent commissions’, pursuing communal politics, unemployment and utter lack of focus on development. The Karnataka Congress appears to have effectively highlighted these issues and convinced the people to vote in its favour.

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If one were to look at situation in Telangana, it is far more different than Karnataka. Political analysts argue that the Congress in Telangana can never even imagine to replicate the Karnataka victory in Telangana as the ruling BRS had led the State in the path of development, be it the issue of steady investments flow, job recruitments, revival of the rural economy, welfare measures and a steady support for the farming community through initiatives like the Rythu Bima, Rythy Bandhu and uninterrupted power supply etc.

To top it all, there was a sort of unity of thought among the Karnataka Congress leaders. The party heavy weights like Siddiramaiah and DK Shiva Kumar set aside their personal agendas and worked as a team. But it is not the same in case of the Congress in Telangana, which is riven with internal differences. The unending dissident activity has only intensifed after the appointment of A Revanth Reddy as the TPCC Chief.

Right from day one, Bhongir MP Komatireddy Venkat Reddy has been opposing Revanth’s appointment and stayed away from campaigning for the party in the Munugode bypoll, in which his younger brother Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy contested on the BJP ticket. Congress had lost deposit in the bypoll. Even when the party launched the Hath se Hath Jodo Abhiyan in January last, most of the senior leaders stayed away.

Amidst all this internal squabbling, TPCC president A Revanth Reddy on Saturday claimed that Karnataka results would have an impact on Telangana elections. “After Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, it is going to be Telangana next for the Congress” Revanth Reddy told mediapersons at Gandhi Bhavan.

If this was the case of Congress, the BJP, which has been trying to gain ground in Telangana, has suffered losses in Munugode bypoll and MLC elections as well. To put up fight against the mighty BRS in the next Assembly elections, the party is still searching for candidates to be fielded from all the 119 constituencies in the State. The ruling BRS has made light of both Congress and BJP claims on Karnataka results having an impact on Telangana.

The BRS working president KT Rama Rao tweeted “Just the way Kerala Story failed to amuse people of Karnataka, similarly Karnataka election results will have NO bearing on Telangana. Thanks to the people of Karnataka for rejecting ugly & divisive politics”. He further wanted Hyderabad and Bengaluru to compete healthily for investments & creating infrastructure for the greater good of India. He also extended his best wishes to the new Congress Government in Karnataka.

In fact, Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao at the BRS plenary meeting last month, had exuded confidence of scoring an hat-trick by garnering atleast 100 seats in the next elections.