NDA Makes Inroads Into Telugu States

The BJP managed to win only 29 of 130 seats in South India in the last general elections—25 in Karnataka and four in Telangana. The party did not win a single seat from Andhra Pradesh.

This election, however, has given different results.

Telangana

Both the ruling Congress government and its opposition, the BJP, seem to be making gains in Telangana’s Lok Sabha seats at the cost of former Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao’s Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS).

As per latest trends, the Congress and the BJP are both leading in eight seats each, and the AIMIM is looking comfortable in Hyderabad. In the last general election, the BRS won nine seats, the BJP four, the Congress three and the MIM one. However, the regional party faced a rout in

assembly elections held late last year and has been completely decimated in this general election.

The saffron party is currently leading in North Telangana districts of Adilabad, Karimnagar, Nizamabad—which have been communally sensitive areas in the past. Meanwhile, it has also made gains in Central Telangana district of Medak, and South Telangana districts of Malkajgiri, Mahabubnagar, Chevella and Secunderabad. The Congress, on the other hand, is leading in Khammam, Nalgonda, Warangal, Peddapelle, Bhongir, Zahirabad, Nagarkurnool, and Mahabubabad.

Out of the five reserved constituencies in the state [three are reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC) and two for Scheduled Tribes (ST)], the grand old party is leading in four of them. This section of voters also backed the Congress in the state Assembly elections owing to the party’s promises on caste census and welfare schemes. Similar to Karnataka, women voters seemed to be happy with the free bus ride and 200 units of free power supply schemes.

The BJP, meanwhile, has continued to make inroads in Telangana, riding on the Modi wave, both during the Assembly elections held late last year and this General Election as well. The state’s electoral map looks completely different from the last election.

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh went to polls on May 13 for 25 Lok Sabha

and 175 Assembly seats simultaneously. The BJP, which failed to open its account in the state, now makes its entry by allying with Chandrababu Naidu’s Telugu Desam Party and Jana Sena.

Establishing a clear lead, the TDP and its allies were ahead in 157 out of the total 175 Assembly seats in the state, on its way to form the government in Andhra Pradesh.

Replicating its performance in the LS seats well, the TDP and its alliance members are leading in 21 seats while the YSRCP is trailing behind with gains in just four seats. The YSRCP and its leader Jagan Mohan Reddy were facing the twin challenge of anti-incumbency and the party’s failure to get a special category status for Andhra Pradesh.