Telangana Rashtra Samithi is flying high in Telangana region and much ahead of its rivals, it has begun to announce candidates for some constituencies for the forthcoming general elections.
But the scenario is totally different in the capital as it is neither swift nor strong in the Assembly seats under the GHMC jurisdiction, admit party insiders, seeking anonymity.
The 24 Assembly constituencies in GHMC -nearly 20.51 per cent of 117 Assembly constituencies in Telangana- are crucial for TRS to realise its dream of forming a government in Telangana. Yet, its presence is negligible in old city and poor in many other constituencies.
Despite its network and base in other parts of Telangana, the ‘Udyama’ party (party of agitation) couldn’t develop equally in the capital since its inception in 2001. It went to the Assembly polls in 2004 having struck an alliance with the Congress and bagged the Musheerabad and Secunderabad seats.
That was the first and last time its candidates won in the capital.
With Congress winning a majority of Assembly seats from the city - two of their candidates becoming Ministers too - followed by MIM in 2009, TRS had little scope of becoming a political force to reckon with here. Chances of its candidates emerging victorious in Bahadurpura, Charminar, Chandrayangutta, Karwan, Malakpet, Nampally and Yakuthpura are less because they are strongholds of MIM followed by BJP, Congress and TDP.
In constituencies like Amberpet, Secunderabad Cantonment, Rajendranagar, L.B. Nagar, Maheswaram, Uppal and Khairatabad, the party does not have strong leaders who can challenge their respective political rivals. Kukatpally, Serilingampally and Malkajgiri have a considerable number of voters from Andhra and Rayalaseema posing a challenge to its potential candidates.
Candidates’ image and claiming credit for the formation of Telangana can still be its trump card to reverse its fortunes in many city constituencies. Plus, its position when it comes to Secunderabad and Musheerabad seats, which the party won in 2004, seems to be stronger, claim senior party leaders.
With TD’s Talasani Srinivas Yadav shifting from Secunderabad to Sanathnagar and sitting MLA Jayasudha planning to contest for the Lok Sabha, prospects of Padma Rao have improved in Secunderabad. Nayani Narsimha Reddy had won Musheerabad seat earlier on TRS ticket and is said to have strong network there.
