BJP's Triumph in MLC Elections Significantly Strengthens Its Standing in Telangana

Hyderabad, March 6 (NationPress) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) achieved a significant victory by winning two out of three seats in the Telangana Legislative Council elections held on February 27, marking a substantial advancement for the party within the state.

This victory has not only dealt a setback to the ruling Congress party by capturing the Karimnagar-Medak-Nizamabad-Adilabad graduates’ constituency but has also led to another win by gaining support from educators in the area.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his gratitude to the electorate of Telangana for their strong support for the @BJP4Telangana in the MLC elections, congratulating the newly elected representatives and praising the diligent efforts of party workers.

This victory not only enhances the BJP’s representation in the Legislative Council but is also anticipated to invigorate the party ahead of local body elections.

This win represents the BJP’s second major achievement, following its increase in Lok Sabha seats in the state to eight last year.

The BJP's approach of announcing its candidates prior to the official schedule for the MLC elections, coupled with an aggressive campaign led by Union Minister for Coal and Mines and state BJP president G. Kishan Reddy alongside Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar, proved to be highly effective.

Voting for three MLC seats from the Karimnagar-Medak-Nizamabad-Adilabad graduates’ constituency, the Karimnagar-Medak-Nizamabad-Adilabad teachers’ constituency, and the Warangal-Khammam Nalgonda teachers’ segment took place on February 27.

Even though MLC elections are typically held on a non-party basis, the BJP announced its candidates for all three seats in January, significantly ahead of the election schedule announcement.

This marks a strategic shift for the BJP, which was previously the last to announce its candidates for the November 2023 Assembly elections and the May 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

The elections served as a platform for the BJP to gauge its popularity, especially in the Karimnagar-Medak-Nizamabad-Adilabad region where it had a strong showing in the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections.

In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP secured victories in Karimnagar, Medak, Nizamabad, and Adilabad. Seven out of its eight Assembly seats were also obtained from north Telangana.

The stakes were notably high for the Congress party in the Karimnagar-Medak-Nizamabad-Adilabad graduates’ constituency, where senior leader and former minister Jeevan Reddy had previously won.

The ruling party nominated Narender Reddy against the BJP’s Anji Reddy. With the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) abstaining from the elections and the Congress only fielding a candidate for the graduates’ constituency, it turned into a direct contest between the two national parties.

In contrast to the BJP’s extensive grassroots campaign to garner support from graduates and educators, the Congress's efforts appeared lackluster. Some party leaders also criticized the candidate selection.

Just two days before the election, Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy held three public meetings across three districts in support of Narender Reddy. His remarks suggested a lack of optimism, stating that the MLC election should not be viewed as a referendum on the Congress government's performance.

The BJP's success in the graduates’ constituency underscores its backing among graduates across 15 districts in north Telangana.

BJP’s Anji Reddy triumphed over Narender Reddy by a margin of 4,991 votes after the second preference vote count. As no candidate achieved the required 50% +1 of valid votes during the first preference count, they proceeded to count the second preference votes.

Anji Reddy garnered 78,635 votes, while Narender Reddy received 73,644 votes, with BSP’s Prasanna Harikrishna in third place at 63,404 votes.

In this election using a preferential voting system and ballot papers, 2.52 lakh voters participated, with a total of 56 candidates competing.

The BJP also received substantial backing from teachers in the same constituency, as its candidate Malka Komaraiah achieved a notable victory.

He won by more than 5,700 first preference votes against his closest contender, Vanga Mahender Reddy from the Progressive Recognized Teachers Union (PRTU).

Komaraiah secured 12,959 votes compared to Mahender Reddy's 7,182 votes, with just over 25,000 teachers participating in the voting.

The BJP has replicated the results from the MLC election held in March 2023 when AVN Reddy, a candidate affiliated with the BJP-linked teachers’ union, won the Mahabubnagar-Rangareddy-Hyderabad teachers’ constituency.

With these latest victories, the BJP now holds three MLC positions in the 40-member Legislative Council.

The party's leaders are elated about the success, asserting that the results indicate the desire of the people of Telangana for a BJP-led government in the state.

“This is no ordinary victory. Graduates and teachers, who influence public opinion in their respective areas, were the electorate. The election encompassed 12-13 districts, six parliamentary constituencies, and 43 Assembly segments,” stated Kishan Reddy.

The Central minister pointed out that the Congress party faced defeat despite the Chief Minister campaigning alongside ministers, MLAs, and other leaders. “This is the second instance where the people of Telangana have demonstrated their support for the BJP and Narendra Modiji,” he added.

Kishan Reddy also proclaimed that in the forthcoming days, the BJP would strive earnestly to attain power in Telangana.