Lok Sabha Election Results 2024: In the state of Telangana, carved out of erstwhile Andhra Pradesh, the upcoming Lok Sabha elections have become a critical battleground for the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), Congress, and BJP. Once seen as a stronghold for the BRS, the political landscape has shifted dramatically, making this election crucial for all three major parties.
While this election is crucial for BRS, recovering from setbacks in the recent Assembly Election, for Congress to solidify its presence.
Karimnagar
In Karimnagar, the contest is between sitting BJP MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar, BRS candidate Boinapally Vinod Kumar, and Congress' Velichala Rajendar Rao.
Boinapally Vinod Kumar, a former MP from the seat, who won the seat in 2014 is aiming for a comeback. Historically, Karimnagar has been a battleground with Congress winning the seat seven times, BRS four times, and BJP three times. The seat, traditionally aligned with the Congress, saw a shift with the rise of BRS during the Telangana movement, notably with Kalvakuntla Chandrashekar Rao's winning the seat thrice.
In 2019, BJP's Bandi Sanjay Kumar captured the seat, making this election a crucial test for all three parties.
Warangal
Warangal witnessed an internal turmoil within BRS complicating their efforts to retain the seat for a third consecutive term. Former Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) nominated Kadiyam Kavya, daughter of sitting MLA from Ghanpur Station and former MP from Warangal, Kadiyam Srihari. However, this move backfired, leading to defections within the party.
Sitting MP Dayakar left BRS to join Congress, and former MLA Aroori Ramesh defected to BJP. KCR stuck to his initial plan and nominated Kadiyam Kavya but she defected the party to join Congress and is contesting the seat from the national party's ticket.
The BJP has also fielded Aroori Ramesh in the seat. After the setbacks, BRS handpicked Marepalli Sudhir Kumar, a loyalist, to contest the seat.
Therefore, historically a BRS stronghold, Warangal is now an unpredictable contest.
Khammam
In Khammam, Congress has fielded R Raghuram Reddy, son of senior Congress leader Ramasahayam Surender Reddy. The sitting MP Nama Nageswara Rao of BRS is aiming to retain his seat, while BJP has nominated Tandra Vinod Rao.
Despite Congress not winning the seat in the past 15 years, their strong performance in the recent Assembly Elections and support from the Left have boosted their confidence. The contest is also marked by significant political tension with multiple ministers advocating for their family members to receive the ticket.
Zaheerabad
Zaheerabad sees former BRS MP BB Patil, who defected to BJP, aiming to capitalize on the Modi wave and the Ayodhya Ram temple issue. Patil's significant victory margin in 2014 dwindled in 2019 making this election crucial for his political career.
Congress candidate Suresh Kumar Shetkar is hopeful that the collective efforts of party MLAs and leaders will tilt the scales in his favour. BRS candidate Gali Anil Kumar, from the Munnuru Kapus community, is campaigning vigorously to secure a win in this region dominated by the Lingayat community.
Hyderabad
In this election, the BJP is making a determined effort to breach AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi's stronghold in Hyderabad. Since 1984, the Owaisi family has held the seat, with Asaduddin Owaisi winning since 2004.
In 2019, he secured a commanding victory with over 2.80 lakh votes. This year, BJP has nominated social worker and businesswoman Kompella Madhavi Latha, while Congress has fielded Mohammed Waliullah Sameer. Madhavi Latha's campaign focuses on infrastructure development and enhancing women's living standards, contrasting Owaisi's agenda centered on minority rights and social justice.