A resurgent and resilient Congress led by 54-year-old Anumula Revanth Reddy swept to power in Telangana, winning 64 seats in the assembly elections. Congress achieved this feat by implementing various strategies.
Firstly, they replicated their successful Karnataka campaign model in Telangana. This involved announcing six guarantees well in advance and conducting elaborate surveys in each constituency before distributing tickets. The party also managed to minimize infighting among different power centers, projecting a united front during campaigning.
Congress also capitalized on voter fatigue for the ruling party, which had been in power for the past nine years. They tapped into the growing perception that the Chief Minister, K Chandrasekhar Rao, was inaccessible and had not delivered on some of his promises.
The party held the Congress Working Committee meeting in Hyderabad, which boosted the morale of party cadres. This was the first time the CWC was held in Hyderabad post-Independence. Prominent leaders, including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, and chief ministers of Congress-ruled states, campaigned extensively just before polling day. Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra also helped build momentum.
Congress urged the people of Telangana to give them one chance to prove themselves, as they had already given two terms to the ruling party. This tapped into the existing anti-incumbency sentiment.
The ruling party made strategic errors, such as giving tickets to almost all sitting MLAs despite resentment against them in many constituencies. Corruption allegations against some MLAs and issues like the delayed filling of vacancies and the Telangana State Public Service Commission paper leak cases led to discontent among unemployed youth and impacted the ruling party’s support.
Congress successfully convinced Muslims that they were a better alternative to the ruling party for challenging the BJP at the national level. They also highlighted corruption allegations against the ruling party, accusing them of becoming richer through kickbacks from development projects.
The Congress created the perception that the BJP and the ruling party were colluding, further strengthening anti-incumbency sentiment. This perception was fueled by the ruling party’s failure to counter corruption allegations effectively.
Overall, Congress’s resurgent and resilient approach, effective strategies, and tapping into voter sentiment contributed to their sweeping victory in the Telangana elections.
