HYDERABAD: The victory of the Congress in the state brings one thought to mind. It has risen like a phoenix from the ashes. Even late last year, there was a sense of disbelief in Hyderabad when anyone suggested a Congress resurrection. Such was the aura BRS supremo and outgoing chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao created around himself, ruling with an iron fist. But one had only to step outside Hyderabad to see the reality.
It was evident that many sections were fed up. The reasons for the same are many. One word that sums it up is disconnect between the people and KCR with the latter isolating himself in his ivory tower. Farmers who had no crop insurance being denied compensation after unseasonal rains, large-scale failure in delivering 2BHK housing for the poor, nepotism, corruption, perceived discrimination in implementing Dalit Bandhu, irregularities in TSPSC and Dharani portal, and above all, the attitude of BRS MLAs and the chief minister himself led to this disenchantment. People saw in them arrogance typically associated with rulers. This in turn made them feel as victims -- the exact sentiment that had crystallised into the Telangana movement years earlier.
The Congress, though pummeled by KCR since 2014, found a way to tap into this discontent. The party lost bypolls under Revanth Reddy but the latter was able to voice public opinion strongly and keep the Congress as the default opposition — notwithstanding efforts of the BJP to supplant it. Having done that, he was also able to earn the complete confidence of the Congress high command. It’s not a one-man job though. Strategist Sunil Kanugolu’s surveys, choice of candidates, ruthlessly brushing aside oldies, the party high command’s success in keeping dissenting leaders on a leash, and finally, an effective poll campaign culminated in the victory. Somehow, the party high command, which infused new blood in Telangana, seems to have missed the same in other poll-bound states. There is one more thing it got right in Telangana. “We fought like a regional party with a strong and young regional face in Telangana. That is how you beat a regional party,” a party leader reasoned.
Having won with a clear majority, the Congress has expectations to live up to. It is going to be tough. The KCR government had always cited stats, showing the State in the top bracket in all indices. Be it per capita income, economic growth, urban development, green cover etc. But what it ignored was that economic growth stemmed from the top sections in rural areas and Hyderabad.
Economic growth was 11.97 per cent in FY 22 and 7.76 this fiscal. But unemployment is higher than the national average at 4.4 per cent and inflation is at 6.4 per cent. The issue about unemployment is that the state itself was formed on the basis of the slogan, “Water, funds and jobs.” Jobs as people understand are government jobs. Agriculture growth too is about 3.4 per cent. So, beneath the great stats of Telangana’s development is an untold story of sweat and tears, though poverty has come down.
The Congress government, with its six guarantees, needs to focus on fiscal prudence as well as welfare. More importantly, it needs to stop arbitrary implementation of schemes. Rythu Bandhu (investment support for farmers) must be stopped for rich landlords. It is absurd that cine stars and politicians, who own lands, are availing of the scheme that should have been meant for poor farmers and tenant farmers.
What is the political implication of this election? It will be interesting to see what KCR does. In a way, he finds himself in the same boat as his bete noire TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu. Both had served for a little over nine years in their first stint. Both exhibited national ambitions. Naidu lost in 2019, KCR in 2023. Both are bereft of strong friends at the national level. Would KCR move towards the BJP, especially if the Congress government goes after him in the state? Nothing can be ruled out. His biggest blunder in this election is retaining MLAs facing severe anti-incumbency. That has made second-rung BRS leaders angry and disappointed. Besides, it sent a message to the people that BRS is not going to change its ways.
Now, KCR also faces another trouble. It is likely that second-rung BRS leaders could go in search of greener pastures. In fact, reports are already pouring in of a few newly elected BRS MLAs contacting the Congress. One has to wait and see if the Congress will try to do to him what he did to it. KCR had scooted away 12 Congress MLAs after the 2018 elections, and tried to dismantle the party itself. Though it has become common in our politics, people don’t appreciate it. Naidu did the same in Andhra Pradesh after he won in 2014. He weaned away 23 YSRC MLAs. Such legislators are usually thrown away by the people as we have seen in AP and now, Telangana.
The BJP, which has done better than expected in pockets despite its lacklustre campaign, will surely go all-out in the Lok Sabha polls. It will be interesting to see the dynamic between the BRS and the BJP. Given public anger against the BRS, it is unlikely to align with it. Any such move can be expected after the Lok Sabha polls. Or, if the BJP wins big in 2024, it may go for the kill and put the BRS in a spot. Its biggest blunder this election is of course the removal of Bandi Sanjay as state unit chief and failure to dispel the impression of a tacit understanding with the BRS. Indeed, the BRS too failed to wash off that label, which cost it dearly in terms of minority votes. The Congress, of course, will be keenly aware of the importance of winning MP seats from Telangana and one could expect it to roll out the schemes at break-neck speed.
Finally, another interesting dimension is the impact of Telangana elections on Andhra. TDP leaders already are privately terming Revanth’s finest hour as “Naidu’s return gift to KCR” — a reference to KCR’s statement in 2019 when he indicated he could help the YSRC in Andhra. Apart from this, the TDP may get a morale booster with Revanth, a protégé of Naidu, at the helm or in the government in Telangana. But those who claim a Congress victory could adversely impact Jagan Mohan Reddy may be jumping the gun. In Telangana, the BRS is seen as the establishment that is with the rich. In Andhra, the TDP is still seen as being the establishment with the rich. This qualitative difference on the ground cannot change unless the TDP does groundwork.