Soul searching time for TRS, BJP on a roll

Never did municipal elections witness this kind of high decibel campaign and generate so much of curiosity nor did they cause so much of nerve biting moments for major political parties. This election also amply exposed the bias of various media including social media which went by personal likes and dislikes instead of trying to find the real pulse of the people.

This election is certainly a second wake up call for the TRS. The first wake up call was after the Dubbaka by election results where BJP had won the polls. The state is yet to face two more municipal elections, Warangal and Khammam along with elections for two MLC seats Nalgonda and Hyderabad graduates constituency and a by election to Nagarjuna Sagar assembly constituency following the death of TRS MLA Nomula Narsimhaiah.

An impartial analysis of the poll results shows that the TRS has to blame itself for the rise of BJP in the so called Galli elections. After coming to power in the newly carved state in 2014, the TRS adopted the strategy of decimating opposition parties particularly the Congress and TDP. The process continued till recently. If these parties were alive, the anti-incumbency votes would have got divided and TRS could have been in a much safer position.

From having won 99 out of 150 seats on its own in 2016 GHMC elections, the TRS this time suffered a setback as it has landed in a situation where it cannot elect the mayor even with the votes of ex-officio members. On the other hand, the BJP which had won only in 4 wards this time nearly touched 50. Another interesting aspect is that in almost all the places where TRS had deputed its ministers as in-charges, the BJP had gained and won.

For example Sabitha Indra Reddy was in charge of RK Puram area, in Sanathnagar which is represented by the city minister who has been a high profile minister in TRS and is considered to be the voice of TRS, BJP has made won in three divisions while pink party retained three. There are six wards in his assembly constituency.

Similarly another minister Jagdish Reddy was incharge of Saroornaga and here too BJP won. In Musheerabad where K Kavitha was in-charge, BJP won. In Habsiguda, the TRS MLA's wife lost. While in the upmarket area of Jubilee Hills BJP has won. MIM however managed to retain its hold and lost just one seat compared to 2016.

Though many people have been claiming that the BJP has lost in areas like Kukatpally where settlers from Andhra Pradesh are there, one should see the other side of the coin as well. The areas like Dilsukhnagar, LB Nagar, Gaddiannaram, Moosarambagh, Nagole etc are the areas where people from Andhra had come and settled down more than four decades back. There the saffron flag flew high. All this clearly indicates that the areas which were affected by severe floods, the BJP has been able to win. Apparently, the Rs 10,000 aid given by TRS did not help the pink party as it was expected.

The TRS did smell the rat but a bit late. Initially, it was of the view that GHMC polls should be delayed. But somehow it hurried in holding the elections now and in shortest possible time. The TRS felt that if opposition gets more time, the damage may be much bigger. But this strategy seems to have misfired.

The high decibel campaign that if BJP is opted for, there would be communal disturbances and people should choose whether they want destruction or development also did not seem to have cut much ice with the voters. The charge that BJP was scared and hence it was bringing flood of people from Delhi for Galli elections did not work.

Here one should understand that the BJP's high-pitched Hyderabad campaign seemed to be well thought out as part of the larger plan of making in-roads in Telangana ahead of 2022 or 2023 assembly elections. The polls in the city were important for BJP as 24 assembly segments fall under the GHMC limits.

This election was vital for BJP not just to move forward and fill the political vacuum in Telangana but it will be a showcase for the West Bengal elections as well. The kind of polarisation the BJP could achieve here would be done on a larger scale in West Bengal. If BJP succeeds in coming to power there or at least emerge as the major opposition, it certainly would be a cause of concern for the regional parties elsewhere when the country would go in for one nation one election.

If one makes a little deeper analysis, the change in political culture over past few decades along with the growth of regional parties is also responsible for the ruling parties to think on lines of one state one party. This quality is also being attributed of late to the BJP at national level. We have seen how the MLAs go into leader worship in all regional parties and how the social media too has been taking sides on party lines abusing and threatening who speak against the party in power in any state.

Coming back to GHMC poll results, it can also be said that the TRS which had been tasting victory in all elections since 2014 failed even to acknowledge within the party that there was an undercurrent of anti-incumbency . The failure of creating jobs, delay in allotting two bed room houses though they were promised in the TRS-1 government and the gap in the promises and implementation led to major setback for TRS. In many places the victory margin between the TRS and BJP candidates was not more than 500 to 600 votes.

The results indicate that the TRS had perhaps committed the same mistake which TDP had done in 2019 election in Andhra Pradesh. TDP went too personal on Modi and made several allegations against BJP. In this election the TRS tried to rake up sympathy factor saying that the state was giving over Rs two lakh crore as taxes but was getting back only pea nuts and that what was due to it as per the norms only. The rest of the money, the BJP was spending in development of Varanasi and other states like Bihar.

It also went on to accuse Modi at a personal level. May be all political parties including the BJP which is riding high following its stunning victory in GHMC polls should understand that it's time a serious thought is given to the language that is being used against its opponents during elections. Hope the victory makes BJP emerge as more responsible and sensible party while the ruling party should make a real analysis as to why it suffered such a setback and take practical measures to ensure that a healthy political system prevails in the State.

The political parties should make less claims that only their programmes and policies are unique in the world and instead take measures to plug loopholes in electoral process and anti-defection laws and create a healthy political system. The social media too should stop indulging in hero worship and start coming up with positive outlook and balanced comments.