BRS pins hopes on development; Cong, BJP bank on govt’s failures in Telangana

HYDERABAD: High-profile visits and sounding of the poll bugle by top leaders has set the stage for an intense political battle ahead of the November 30 Assembly elections in Telangana, where the ruling BRS is looking for a third straight term while Opposition BJP and Congress are also fancying their chances.

Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao-led Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) has pinned hopes on the development work his government undertook during the past ten years, while Opposition Congress and BJP bank on anti-incumbency and the alleged failures of the incumbent.

Telangana Assembly has 119 seats. The ruling BRS has already named 115 candidates in August, much ahead of others and taking advantage of a head-start in terms of campaigning. The remaining BRS candidates are also expected to be announced soon.

BRS official spokesperson Putta Vishnuvardhan Reddy said that “we are much ahead in the game over other parties because Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has given the candidates more than 100 days time to go to the public and campaign.”

“BRS will win between 95-105 seats out of the total of 119 in the upcoming Assembly polls,” Rao said at a press conference during the release of BRS candidate list on August 21. A week before the poll schedule was announced, PM Modi visited Telangana twice with just a day’s gap in between and launched developmental infrastructure projects. Amit Shah is scheduled to address a rally in Adilabad on October 10.

CWC meeting held in Telangana on September 16. The next day a rally attended by AICC president Kharge and top leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi was held, marking the launch of the party’s poll campaign.