HYDERABAD: A la 2018 Assembly elections, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) on Tuesday logged in a spectacular victory in the ZPTC and MPTC polls across the State, and is now set to capture all 32 zilla parishads and a majority of mandal parishads.Disproving the Congress’ allegation that the TRS won the Assembly elections by tampering with EVMs, the pink party bulldozed its way, decimating the Congress and the BJP, in the process, in the ZPTC ad MPTC elections, for which ballot papers were used.
Excited by the unprecedented victory of the TRS, its working president KT Rama Rao said the overwhelming results created a record in the electoral history of the country.The elections to the ZPTCs and MPTCs were held for the first time in the State after the reorganisation of districts about two years ago. These elections effectively silenced the Congress and BJP voice brigades, which exhausted their lung power in alleging the TRS was fast losing steam, after its lacklustre performance in the recent Lok Sabha elections, in which it won only nine seats.
The victory was a sweet revenge for the pink panthers as it came after they battered the opposition parties out of shape in the ballot battle.As the election for ZP chairpersons is slated for June 8, the TRS is eagerly waiting to capture the posts of chairmen and vice-chairman of Zilla Parishads.Since morning, when counting of votes began, the TRS established an unassailable lead over the Congress and the BJP, and never looked back. It was a pink surge unabated and unrestrained.
The TRS received a mild shock in the Lok Sabha polls, with the BJP and Congress knocking away four and three seats respectively, stymieing the efforts of the pink party to corner all but one of the 17 seats (Hyderabad was left to its ally AIMIM).The TRS, however, bounced back and retrieved the entire ground it lost to the two opposition parties by emerging as a party that could capture all the ZPs and a majority of MPTCs.
According to one TRS leader, the voters showed their prudence in the Assembly, Lok Sabha and ZPTC elections. “Assembly elections were held on December 7, 2018 and the TRS won with thumping majority. When the Lok Sabha polls were held on April 11, the voters considered national issues. A month later, the ZPTC and MPTC elections were held between May 6 and 14, and again, the people preferred the TRS,” he said.
Cong fails to open account in 6 districts
Though the Congress stood in the second place, it failed to win even a single ZPTC seat in six districts — Warangal (Urban), Warangal (Rural), Mahbubnagar, Jangaon, Gadwal and Karimnagar. The Congress could win only one ZPTC in six other districts, including Siddipet, Sircilla, Mulugu, Wanaparthy and Asifabad.
With this election, the rout of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in Telangana was complete.
The TDP failed to win even a single ZPTC seat in any district. The disintegration of the TDP in Telangana was clearly visible right from the Assembly elections. In the Assembly polls, the TDP won two seats. Expecting a similar verdict, it did not contest in the Lok Sabha polls.
The TRS pushed the TDP, once a monolith in Telangana, to the fringes with just 20 MPTC seats.
There were, however, some disappointments for the pink party. At Chief Minister and TRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao’s adopted village of Chinna Mulkanur in Karimnagar district, an Independent candidate won over the TRS candidate.
Highlights
In Pothangal, the village of TRS former MP Kalvakuntla Kavitha’s in-laws, BJP candidate Raju won as an MPTC. The TRS was defeated
In CM K Chandrasekhar Rao’s adopted village Chinna Mulkanur in Karimnagar district, an independent candidate Rajesham won as an MPTC. The TRS lost here