HYDERABAD: As Telangana gears up for local body elections, a cold war is brewing between supporters of the BRS MLAs who defected to the Congress and loyal Congress workers, who backed candidates defeated by these turncoats in the 2023 Assembly elections.
The rift, evident across most of the 10 Assembly constituencies won by these defectors, threatens to undermine the Congress’s unity and electoral prospects in the upcoming polls.
The situation is particularly complex because the supporters of the turncoat MLAs are primarily former BRS workers, while those who are with the defeated Congress candidates are longstanding party loyalists.
Both groups, originally from opposing political camps, are now expected to unite and work for Congress’ victory in the local body elections, including Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituencies (MPTCs) and Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituencies (ZPTCs), which are contested on a party basis. However, their deep-seated differences are proving to be a significant hurdle.
The Congress assumed power in the state in December 2023, following which 10 BRS MLAs switched allegiance to the ruling party. These defections, particularly in constituencies like Jagtial, Banswada, Chevella, Gadwal, Station Ghanpur, Bhadrachalam, and Patancheru, have led to persistent tensions. What began as minor altercations between Congress loyalists and the turncoat MLAs’ supporters has now escalated into deep-rooted animosity, complicating grassroots coordination.
With local body elections fast approaching, the existing friction risks turning uglier. Congress workers, who campaigned for the party’s candidates in 2023, are struggling to collaborate with their former rivals, now part of the Congress fold. Party leaders are grappling with the challenge of bridging this divide to ensure a unified front.
The stakes are high for ticket aspirants in both camps. Supporters of the turncoat MLAs, buoyed by their leaders’ influence, are hopeful of securing nominations for the local body elections.
Meanwhile, original Congress workers, who stood by the party’s unsuccessful candidates in 2023, are anxious about whether the leadership will accord priority to them for their loyalty or favour the defectors’ supporters, who joined Congress expecting better prospects. This uncertainty has fuelled speculation and discontent within the party.
Senior Congress leaders are particularly concerned about the possibility of rebel nominations if aspirants from the turncoat MLAs’ camps are favoured. If the party opts for the defectors’ supporters, loyal Congress workers may file independent nominations, which they may not withdraw. Persuading disgruntled workers to step back from contesting as rebels poses a significant challenge, as many feel sidelined by the party’s alleged preference for turncoat MLAs in regular programmes and decision-making.
Congress loyalists point out that they would be deeply embarrassed, if the party tilts towards defectors. Convincing them to withdraw from the contest if denied tickets will be tough. The loyalists are urging the leadership to prefer them to those who defected from BRS.
At present District Congress Committee (DCC) presidents are shortlisting candidates for MPTC and ZPTC tickets. The state leadership is expected to finalise nominations after consultations. In cases of dissent, senior leaders plan to engage directly with potential rebel candidates to persuade them to withdraw, aiming to prevent vote splits that could spoil Congress’ chances against BRS and other rivals.
The party’s high command, aware of the brewing tensions, is under pressure to balance the interests of loyalists and defectors. The defections, while boosting Congress’s numbers in the Assembly, have created a problem of balancing them.