The Congress has surged ahead in Telangana where votes are being counted today for the 119 assembly seats. According to early trends, the Congress is leading on 63 seats, three more than majority, while the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) is ahead on 25.
If the trend continues, this will be the first time that India’s youngest state sees another party at the helm. The BRS has been at the helm since the state’s birth in 2014.
Congress spokesperson Lavanya Ballal Jain told NDTV that her party is “very sure” about winning. “We are confident that we will form the government,” she said, about all four states that have results due today. On sending feelers to rebels and leaders from other parties, she said the Congress is not planning any operation like “Operation Kamala”. “If people and other parties want to join, they are welcome. We are not going to poach, that’s not how Congress works,” she said.
Anti-incumbency has been building up against the ruling party and it was banking on welfare measures, including the Rythu Bandhu and Rythu Bima schemes for farmers, Dalit and BC Bandhu schemes for the deprived classes and the Gruha Lakshmi scheme to give housing to the poor.
The exit polls have predicted a narrow victory for Congress, which is predicted to win 62 seats, while the BRS may be reduced to 44 seats.
The state’s turnout in the November 30 election was 71.34%, two percentage points less than in 2018.
In the 2018 elections, the TRS emerged victorious by capturing 88 seats. The Congress secured the second position with 19 seats, while the Telugu Desam Party managed to win only two seats. The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) claimed seven seats, while the BJP managed to win only one.
