తెలంగాణలో బీజేపీ: ఒక్క ఎమ్మెల్యే నుంచి ప్రధాన పోటీదారుగా

BJP in Telangana: From one MLA to a serious contender

For a long time, it was believed that the BJP, which is strong in North India, had no major base in the South except Karnataka. But in the last few years, the party has grown significantly in Telangana. Let's look at that journey based on the election results.

Early days

In the united Andhra Pradesh, the BJP was mostly confined to Hyderabad city and some areas of northern Telangana. Hanumakonda was one of the two Lok Sabha seats won by the BJP across the country in 1984. Bandaru Dattatreya won as an MP from Secunderabad several times and served as a minister in the Vajpayee and Modi governments. He later also served as governor. The BJP supported the Telangana movement — the party gave the slogan "one vote, two states" in the 1990s.

2014, 2018 — Limited results

After the formation of Telangana, the BJP contested the 2014 assembly elections in alliance with the TDP and won 5 seats. In the 2018 by-elections, it contested alone and won only one seat — Goshamahal. At that time, there were analyses that the BJP had no future in the state.

2019 Lok Sabha — The turning point

The situation changed within a few months. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP won 4 of the 17 seats in the state — Secunderabad (G. Kishan Reddy), Karimnagar (Bandi Sanjay Kumar), Nizamabad (Dharmapuri Arvind), and Adilabad (Soyam Bapurao). The defeat of the then sitting MP K. Kavitha in Nizamabad was a big sensation. Kishan Reddy became a Union Minister.

2020–2021 — Aggression

The party campaigned aggressively after Bandi Sanjay took over as the state president. The victory of M. Raghunandan Rao in the 2020 Dubbaka by-election came as a shock to the ruling party. In the GHMC elections held in December of the same year, the BJP emerged as a strong force in the city by winning 48 divisions. In the 2021 Huzurabad by-election, Etala Rajender, who had left the ruling party, won for the BJP. These three victories brought about the discussion that "the alternative in Telangana is BJP".

2023 Assembly

However, the main contest in the 2023 assembly elections was between the BRS and the Congress. The BJP won 8 seats — a significant increase over 2018, but a long way from power. There were analyses that changes in the state leadership before the elections affected the party's momentum.

2024 Lok Sabha — Best Result

In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP won 8 seats in Telangana, equal to the Congress. With BRS not winning a single seat, analysts estimated that a significant portion of the party's voters had shifted towards the BJP. G. Kishan Reddy took charge as a Union Cabinet Minister and Bandi Sanjay as a Union Minister of State.

Strengths and weaknesses

Strengths: Influence of national leadership, popularity among urban-young voters, increased hold in North Telangana, power at the Centre. Weaknesses: Lack of strong cadre in all districts, limited presence in South Telangana, lack of local leaders at the assembly level.

Conclusion

The fact that a party with one MLA in 2018 has become a party with eight MPs in six years shows how rapidly the political equations in Telangana are changing. Now there is a three-party competition in the state — Congress, BRS, and BJP. The upcoming elections will show who is ahead in this competition.

Photo: Ministry of Home Affairs / Wikimedia Commons (GODL-India)