HYDERABAD: The BJP, which convinced the ruling TRS not to contest in the Lingojiguda bypoll in Greater Hyderabad, was in for a shock on Monday when it lost to the Congress in the division.
Its political strategy appeared to have gone haywire when Congress which stood a poor third in the 2020 elections, wrested the Lingojiguda division in the bypoll. Though the ruling TRS stayed away from the contest, the BJP failed to encash upon the sympathy factor following the death of its winning candidate A Ramesh Goud. He died before he took oath as a Corporator, which necessitated the bypoll.
The BJP delegation led by N Ramchander Rao met TRS working president KT Rama Rao with a request for unanimous election. The TRS did not contest this time, as requested by the BJP. But the Congress fielded D Rajasekhara Reddy as its candidate again. The BJP fielded Ramesh's son Akhil Goud this time.
The reason behind BJP losing the seat to Congress is that the top BJP leaders did not focus much on the bypoll. BJP chief Bandi Sanjay was unhappy over Ramchander Rao and other BJP leaders meeting Rama Rao. The BJP even failed to ensure that its voters reached the polling booths. The polling percentage also remained low.
In the December polls, BJP candidate Ramesh Goud secured 10,340 votes, while the TRS candidate got 7,529 votes and the Congress candidate acquired 4,007 votes. This time, the BJP could manage only 5,968 votes, whereas the Congress candidate Rajasekhara Reddy’s votes increased from 4,007 to 7,240 votes.