These five districts have a total of 65 Assembly constituencies in them, more than half of the total 119 in Telangana.
Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy districts alone account or 29, and of them 24 are purely urban segments in which 'non-Telangana' voters hold the key.
According to estimates, one-third of voters in Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy hail from coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions while Muslims form one-fourth of the total electorate who could effectively tilt the scales against the TRS.
In 2009, the TRS won only 10 of the 45 seats it contested in alliance with the TDP and the Left. It displayed a strong presence only in Karimnagar and Adilabad districts in north Telangana and very limited influence in Warangal, Nizamabad and Medak.
The scene in 2014 is completely different, now that Telangana got statehood, but will that ensure significant electoral gains for the party that spearheaded the movement is the big question.
The TRS and the Congress are vying for the share of pie, each claiming credit for securing statehood for the region. Both are banking on the "Telangana sentiment" to reap electoral dividends.
