Political tensions rise in Telangana as exit poll projections suggest the Congress party is leading the race to form the government, challenging the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) after a 10-year rule in India’s youngest state.
Telangana Minister and Bharat Rashtra Samithi working president KT Rama Rao expressed confidence in the party’s victory despite exit poll predictions. “After a long time had a peaceful sleep. Exit polls can take a hike. Exact polls will give us good news,” Minister KTR posted on social media.
Exit polls released on Thursday indicated that Congress is poised to form the government, projecting a potential fall short of the majority mark for the ruling BRS. In response, KT Rama Rao, in a news conference, dismissed the exit polls as “illogical” and expressed certainty that the BRS would return to power with over 70 seats on December 3.
“We have proved the exit polls wrong in the past too. We will do it again. People are still voting. I think it’s very ludicrous,” stated KT Rama Rao, urging party cadre not to believe the poll results.
State Congress President Revanth Reddy welcomed the exit poll results, predicting a landslide victory for the grand old party with over 80 seats. Reddy emphasized the democratic process within Congress, stating, “In Congress, there is a process for everything. Being the PCC president, I will have to obey every order from the high command.”
Telangana witnessed a high-stakes battle with a triangular contest involving BRS, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and the Congress. The assembly polls recorded an overall voter turnout of 70.28 percent, with 2,290 contestants in the fray.
In the 2018 elections, BRS (then Telangana Rashtra Samithi) won 88 of the 119 seats, securing 47.4 percent of the vote share, while Congress trailed with just 19 seats. Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao sought a record third term in office amidst growing momentum for the Congress and criticism from the BJP regarding the ruling party’s governance.
As the political landscape in Telangana remains tense, all eyes are now on the counting day, slated for December 3, when the true victor of this closely contested battle will be revealed.
