2023లో బీఆర్ఎస్ ఎందుకు ఓడింది? విశ్లేషకులు చెప్పే ఏడు కారణాలు

Why BRS lost Telangana in 2023: Seven reasons analysts point to

December 3, 2023. The results of the Telangana Assembly elections have been announced. BRS, which won 88 seats in 2018, fell to 39 seats. Congress came to power with 64 seats. The defeat of BRS, which was considered a party that achieved a separate state and had a strong foundation with welfare schemes, surprised many. These are the main reasons suggested by political analysts and post-election surveys. (These are only analyses; parties have different opinions on these.)

1. Decades of anti-government sentiment

Any government naturally faces some opposition after ten years. Surveys have indicated that there is a lot of dissatisfaction, especially with local MLAs. Yet, BRS has given tickets to almost all the sitting MLAs again. Many analysts believe this is a major strategic mistake.

2. Anger of unemployed youth

"Recruitments" is the slogan of the movement. But the non-conduct of exams like Group-1 for years and the cancellation of exams due to the leak of TSPSC question papers in 2023 have caused deep disappointment among lakhs of unemployed people. It is believed that youth in coaching centers like Ashoknagar, Hyderabad, have had a strong impact in these elections.

3. Dharani problems

The difficulty in correcting errors in the Dharani portal for land records has become a major problem in rural areas. The opposition's promise of "cancelling the Dharani" has had an impact on farmers, according to an analysis.

4. Medigadda incident

A few weeks before the elections, in October 2023, the pillars of the Medigadda Barrage in the Kaleshwaram project collapsed. The fact that questions were being raised about the very project that the government had proudly touted put the BRS on the defensive during the campaign.

5. The concept of "unavailable leadership"

The opposition parties have repeatedly campaigned that the Chief Minister will not come to the Secretariat and that it will be difficult for the people and MLAs to meet him. They have also accused him of family rule. Analysts say that this campaign has had some effect.

6. Congress' six guarantees, Karnataka impact

The Congress's victory in neighboring Karnataka in May 2023 filled the ranks of the Telangana Congress with enthusiasm. The "six guarantees" of free bus travel for women, farmer assurance, and free electricity went out to the people as clear, easy-to-understand promises. Revanth Reddy's aggressive campaign positioned the Congress as an alternative.

7. Focus on national expansion

Some analysts believe that the transformation of TRS into BRS and its focus on expansion in states like Maharashtra has led to a perception that the focus on the home state has diminished. There is also an argument that the removal of "Telangana" from the name has weakened the emotional attachment.

Yet a strong foundation

Despite the defeat, BRS retained a significant vote share. It won several seats in Hyderabad city limits — a sign that the city's voters are satisfied with the party's rule. However, the party's failure to win a single seat in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections is another major setback for the party.

Conclusion

In a democracy, people not only show gratitude for past services, but also demand answers to current problems. The 2023 result is the same lesson for any party — they must constantly maintain their connection with the people.

Photo: Ministry of Electronics & IT, Government of India / Wikimedia Commons (GODL-India)