Many bigwigs in fierce poll battles across Telangana

Apart from KCR, 89 sitting members of BRS are in the fray. Congress has fielded six sitting members, AIMIM four members and BJP three members

As many as 103 sitting members are seeking re-election to Telangana Assembly in the current elections. They include Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, who is contesting from two constituencies, cabinet ministers, floor leaders and members of the Congress, BJP and AIMIM. Apart from KCR, 89 sitting members of BRS are in the fray. Congress has fielded six sitting members, AIMIM four members and BJP three members.

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Besides the sitting members, former legislators, sitting and former MPs, corporators and former corporators and current and former members of panchayat raj bodies are also trying their luck. Sitting MPs contesting these polls include Kotha Pabhakar Reddy from BRS, Bandi Sanjay, Dharmapuri Arvind and Soyam Bapu Rao from BJP, Telangana PCC president A Revanth Reddy and N Uttam Kumar Reddy and Komatireddy Venkat Reddy from the Congress. Revanth Reddy is contesting from two constituencies– Kodangal and Kamareddy (where he is pitted against KCR). Two MLCs—one each from BRS and Congress– are also in the fray.

The BRS had announced its list of candidates for 115 constituencies on August 21, almost two-and-a-half months before the nominations opened on November 3. The Congress released its list in four instalments from October 15 to November 9. The BJP, too, announced its list in five spells, from October 22 to November 10 when the nominations closed. In all, 2,290 candidates are in the fray in the 119 constituencies. The BRS has fielded 119 candidates, followed by Congress 118, BJP 111, BSP 107, All India Forward Bloc 41, CPI-M 19, AIMIM 9, Jana Sena 8 and CPI one.

The presence of such a large number of contestants with long political innings has added to the fierce poll battles in many constituencies. The main players—BRS, Congress and BJP—have picked up their nominees from across the socio-economic, caste and religious spectrum of the State— Forward Castes (Other Castes or OCs), BCs, SCs, STs and minorities. BRS has taken care to ensure that all the major groups within these groups are nominated for these polls. The Congress and BJP have allotted more tickets to candidates from some groups and given short shrift to some other communities.

BRS, which led the struggle for 14 years for separate Telangana State, has been enjoying the support of all castes and communities. The BRS has been making efforts for the empowerment of disadvantaged groups among the OCs, BCs, SCs and STs by allotting tickets to them for contesting Assembly, Lok Sabha, panchayat raj and municipal elections ever since the party started contesting the polls. This time, the BRS has nominated 61 candidates from the OCs and 58 from the BC, SC, ST and minority communities.

In 2018, too, the party accommodated the candidates from across all castes and communities. This had paid rich electoral dividends to the party and helped it to raise its tally from 63 seats in 2014 to 88 in 2018. BRS winners included 47 OCs, 19 BCs, 16 SCs, five STs and one from Muslim minority. Voters from all castes and communities contributed to the pink party’s electoral success. BRS polled more votes of BCs, SCs, STs and minorities than its rivals could manage.

There is fierce competition among the rival parties this time for securing the support of these major groups. The Congress has come out with “Six Guarantees” and Rythu, Youth, BC, SC/ST and Minority Declarations. The BJP has also promised a BC Chief Minister, SC categorization, priority for farmers, jobs for the youth besides lot of freebies. BRS has been modest in making poll promises, unlike the other rivals which have been quite reckless.

BRS has assured to raise the quantum of assistance under Rythu Bandhu, Aasara pensions and coverage under Arogyasri, introduce Rs 5 lakh insurance scheme called KCR Bhima for all and provide gas cylinders at Rs 400 among other things. While the BRS has the scorecard of its achievements in the last 10 years to show to the voters, the Congress and BJP are banking on their promises for the future. At the same, they are relying on their “negative” propaganda and narratives against the BRS and one another. The people will deliver their verdict on November 30.