T'gana gets first Congess govt in 2023 after state formation, LS polls crucial for Cong, BRS, BJP
Congress formed its first government in Telangana in 2023, humbling the mighty BRS but Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has his task cut out to ensure the momentum continues in 2024 to see the party emerges victorious in the Lok Sabha polls. Hailed as the architect of the grand old party's southern success amid an unimpressive electoral show in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh, the energetic Reddy needs to ensure Congress pockets as many Lok Sabha seats as possible out of the 17 segments up for grabs, to consolidate his position.
The Lok Sabha polls are equally crucial for the K Chandrasekhar Rao-led Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) and the BJP as well. While the BRS would seek to put behind the 2023 loss, BJP would aim to make further inroads in the state as part of its plans to put up a better show in the South.
In the 2019 polls, the BRS, then TRS, won 9 seats, BJP four and Congress 3. BRS' ally AIMIM won one seat.
Soon after coming to power in December 2023, the Congress government had announced implementation of free travel for women in state-run RTC buses and a health scheme of Rs 10 lakh coverage to the poor that are part of the six poll 'guarantees'.
However, the onerous task of implementing the other 'guarantees' which involve huge financial costs awaits the Congress government in the new year.
The BJP, which emerged as a principal challenger to the BRS at one point of time after winning a couple of by-polls and the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation elections, before the November 30 Assembly polls, ended up doubling its vote share to nearly 14 per cent besides winning 8 seats in the 119-member House.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who visited Telangana on December 28, set a target for the party to
