SNCN ACHARYULU
Hyderabad
BRS leaders are pinning their hopes on party President Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao when it comes to Assembly elections. BRS leaders think that their main advantage is KCR’s leadership and his public image and that the main drawback of the Congress and the BJP is their state leadership.
BRS leaders strongly feel that there is no leader in the opposition camp who can challenge KCR in the next Assembly elections. Among KCR, TPCC President Revanth Reddy and Telangana BJP President Bandi Sanjay Kumar people consider KCR better than the other two.
BRS leaders think that KCR’s image can make BRS candidates victorious, but TPCC President Revanth and BJP leader Sanjay do not have that ability. Congress and BJP candidates have to win over voters with their own and their party’s image.
Recent surveys indicate that the BJP’s graph is going down. In Telangana, the BJP has no strong cadres across the state except in some areas and the image of Prime Minister Modi may not work in Assembly elections.
The image of the Congress has improved a little of late recently at the national level but in Telangana even though the Congress has a strong cadre network it is not in a position to challenge KCR.
Assembly elections are decided mainly on the basis of local issues. The Congress and the BJP have not yet announced their Chief Minister candidate. Both the Congress and BJP leaders are expecting a leadership change by the time of the Assembly elections.
But the high commands of both parties have announced that there will be no change of leadership.
While the BJP leadership has announced that their party will face the Assembly elections under Sanjay, the Congress high command has told party leaders that there will be no change of leadership.
Generally, if any party wins in Assembly elections its state president will be the first to be considered for the CM’s post. If the BJP wins Sanjay, and if the Congress wins Revanth will be the first choice of these parties for the Chief Minister’s post.
BRS leaders think that Revanth or Sanjay doesn’t have the image or stature to match KCR. They think that the BRS leadership is a big advantage and a big minus point for the Congress and the BJP.
BRS leaders say that except for a few all party MLAs have a good image in their constituencies. In addition to this KCR’s image will also help them to win the Assembly elections.
BRS leaders will campaign that if the Congress or the BJP comes to power they will scrap all welfare schemes and the people will suffer due to that. They will also say that if the BRS is voted back to power it will introduce more welfare schemes in addition to existing ones.
BRS leaders think that this will work with the people during elections. Money also plays a crucial role in Assembly elections. The BRS and the BJP have no problem raising funds, unlike the Congress which had been away from power both in the state and at the Centre for a decade.
The Congress has strong candidates in many constituencies but it has no funds compared to the BRS and the BJP. The BJP has no funding problems but it has no strong candidates in most constituencies. The BRS has strong candidates in all constituencies and has adequate funds too.
BRS leaders think that this will make a lot of difference in elections. The BRS is confident of retaining power as it has strong candidates, adequate funds and above all KCR’s image. BRS leaders think due to these three things the Congress and the BJP cannot match their party.
