NIZAMABAD: Sometimes, political rivals’ strategy or lack of it can work to one’s advantage. This is especially so in electoral politics.
Take the case of BJP’s Dharmapuri Arvind, who retained the Nizamabad Lok Sabha seat with a 1.13 lakh vote majority.
In the 2019 elections, two years after he joined the BJP, Arvind defeated the BRS’ sitting MP K Kavitha as some Congress leaders indirectly supported him.
Five years later, it was the BRS leaders who preferred to “maintain silence”, paving the way for Arvind’s emphatic victory.
According to political observers, the Congress, which suffered the reverse in the 2018 and 2023 elections, wanted to defeat the BRS in the Nizamabad district in the Lok Sabha elections.
Its leaders, according to observers, believed that Kavitha’s defeat will not only help in demoralising the BRS and its cadre but also revive the Congress in the state and hence discreetly supported Arvind.
After Kavitha’s defeat, the BRS became weak in the district and the Congress cadre became active in all the Assembly constituencies that fall under the Nizamabad LS segment.
After his victory, Arvind and Kavitha became arch-rivals in the constituency. To counter Arvind and BJP’s Hindutva ideology, Kavitha started her own spiritual activities.
She also openly announced that “we will chase him and ensure his defeat” wherever he contests be it Assembly elections or Lok Sabha polls.
In the 2023 Assembly elections, Arvind contested from Korutla but suffered defeat.
As the BRS lost power in that elections and then Kavitha went to jail in the Delhi liquor scam, the Congress leaders started claiming that BRS was a spent force.
Amidst these developments, the BRS leaders in an attempt to counter the Congress maintained silence in this Lok Sabha elections, which helped Arvind retain the seat, say the political observers.