HYDERABAD: With the Munugode byelection being looked upon as the semi-final to the 2023 Assembly elections, it’s essential for two of the three mainstream political parties to get at least the second position in the electoral battle to claim to be the alternative to the ruling TRS.
Irrespective of the major political developments in the last four years, all three main political parties are now waiting to know the mandate given by the people, which is, for now, safely locked in EVMs.
In the 2018 elections, while the TRS retained power securing 46.9% vote share in 119 Assembly constituencies, the Congress too retained its Opposition status by securing 28.4% of the vote cast in 99 seats that it contested. The BJP stood third with a 7.1% vote share and one seat.
Post the 2018 elections, the political landscape changed owing to the defections of MLAs from the Congress to the TRS, ripping even the Opposition status off the beleaguered grand old party. This sparked an exodus of leaders from Congress to TRS and BJP.
Ever since, the saffron party – which is leaving no stone unturned to make inroads in the State – has been trying to emerge as the main Opposition party that would help it vault to power. As part of this effort, the BJP succeeded in admitting Eatela Rajender into its fold and winning the Huzurabad byelection, subsequent to the GHMC elections in which it improved its strength.
Given the significance of the Munugode by-election, it is evident that except the BJP, none of the other mainstream political parties, including the ruling TRS and the principal Opposition Congress, wanted an election at this point of time.
However, knowing well the importance of the bypoll, Congress invested all its strengths to retain the Munugode Assembly seat that it won in 2018. Likewise, the TRS too didn’t want the BJP to secure even a good number of votes, leave alone win. Nonetheless, as soon as the result is out, all three political parties are certain to fine-tune their strategies regarding the roadmap to the 2023 elections.
FORWARD MARCH
Post the 2018 elections, the political landscape changed in the State owing to the defections of MLAs from the Congress to the TRS, ripping even the Opposition status off the beleaguered grand old party. This sparked an exodus of leaders from Congress to TRS and BJP. Ever since, the saffron party – which is leaving no stone unturned to make inroads in the State – has been trying to emerge as the main Opposition party that would help it vault to power.
15 ROUNDS OF COUNTING OF VOTES IN EVMS
After 30 minutes of the commencement of postal ballot counting, the EVM counting will commence. There will be 21 tables and counting will be in 15 rounds