HYDERABAD: The key takeaway from the recent panchayat election results is stark and unsettling: the principal opposition, BRS, is staring at a dire crisis in several districts, while the ruling Congress, despite its advantage of being in power, has also failed to deliver a uniformly strong performance across the state.
In many Assembly constituencies, the BRS has slipped to third place, often failing to cross even double digits — a warning bell tolling loudly for a party that once dominated the rural landscape.
The pink party’s grassroots presence, once its strongest forte, appears to be crumbling. In the Adilabad Assembly constituency, BRS-backed candidates managed to secure just 22 out of 116 gram panchayats, settling for third place. The Congress surged ahead with 56 sarpanch posts, followed by the BJP with 38.
A similar story unfolded in the Armoor Assembly segment, where the BRS won only 12 of 86 seats, while the BJP did marginally better with 15, and the Congress swept the board with 59.
The party’s performance dipped even further in Banswada, where it could muster a mere three gram panchayats. In contrast, the Congress made a rich haul, winning 128 of 137, while the BJP secured six.
In Bodhan, the BRS won just 13 GPs, as the Congress, along with rebels, captured 79, and the BJP took 12. In Gadwal, the BRS was again relegated to third position, winning only eight GPs, while the Congress and rebels together won 56 of 113, with the BJP securing 10.
In Jagtial, the verdict was near-total: the Congress and party rebels swept 90 of 101 gram panchayats, leaving the BRS with just two, while the BJP won nine. In Khammam Assembly segment as well, the BRS won 11 out of 37, with the Congress and rebels claiming the remaining 26. The pattern repeated itself in Kodad, where the BRS secured only 21 of 120 GPs, while the Congress and rebels dominated with 89.
The BRS fared no better in Kothagudem, winning just six sarpanch posts, as the Congress and rebels took 54 of 98, with others accounting for 38. In Madhira, the party won 21 GPs against the Congress-rebel combine’s 93, with others winning 17 of 131. In Mahbubnagar, the BRS managed 16 GPs, while the Congress and rebels won 36 and the BJP four.
In Mancherial, the BRS secured only six of 58 GPs, while the Congress and rebels won 47 and the BJP five. Mudhole presented another dismal picture: the BRS won just six GPs, while the BJP emerged strongest with 89 and the Congress secured 86 of 181.
In Nirmal, the BRS won only five GPs, with the Congress and rebels taking 73 and the BJP 50 out of 128 — pushing the BRS firmly into third place in both Mudhole and Nirmal.
The slide continued in Wyra, where the BRS won 17 GPs against the Congress-rebel combine’s 111, with others winning five of 135. In Ramagundam, the BRS managed just four GPs, while the Congress and rebels won 23 of 27.
In Rajendranagar, the party secured three GPs, equal to the BJP, while the Congress and rebels won 15 of 21.
This broader picture places the BRS in choppy waters across these Assembly constituencies — ironically, many of them were seats it once won comfortably, and where MLAs are alleged to have defected to the Congress. The erosion of its base in such areas suggests a party struggling to hold its ground as the political sands shift beneath its feet.
That said, the ruling Congress too has reasons for introspection. In several constituencies, it failed to secure a majority, with the BRS and BJP demonstrating significant strength. In Siddipet, the Congress and rebels won only 10 GPs, while the BRS swept 78 and the BJP three of 91. In Dubbak, the Congress-rebel combine won 56, trailing the BRS’s 69, while the BJP secured 19 of 145.
In Sircilla, the Congress won 42 GPs, falling behind the BRS’ 60, with the BJP taking 15 of 117. Huzurabad painted a triangular picture, with the Congress and rebels winning 47, the BRS 36, and the BJP 25 — setting the stage for a three-cornered contest.
In Sirpur, the BRS emerged on top with 69 GPs, while the Congress and rebels settled for second with 44, and the BJP won 28. In Boath, the BRS also performed strongly, winning 88 GPs, while the Congress and rebels won 129 and the BJP 24 of 241.
Taken together, these results indicated that the BRS is steadily losing ground in several Assembly segments, even as the BJP inched forward, expanding its footprint village by village. If this trend continues, the BJP could well emerge as the principal challenger in the upcoming MPTC, ZPTC, and urban local body elections — posing a serious threat to the once-dominant pink party, which now appears to be fighting an uphill battle to reclaim its lost turf.