Telangana MLC by-election: The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) won the by-election for the Legislative Council from Mahabubnagar local bodies constituency. Naveen Kumar Reddy of BRS emerged victorious with a majority of 109 votes over his nearest rival Manney Jeevan Reddy of Congress.
The polling was held on March 28 but the counting was postponed in view of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) for Lok Sabha elections. The counting was taken up on Sunday (June 2), a day after the last phase of Lok Sabha polls 2024.
Out of 1,437 votes polled in the by-election, 21 were found invalid. Naveen Kumar Reddy secured 762 votes while Jeevan Reddy garnered 653 votes. Independent candidate Sudershan Goud got one vote.
Setback for Congress in Telangana
The victory came as a setback for the Congress party in Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy's home district Mahabubnagar. Revanth Reddy himself had cast his vote in the by-election as an ex-officio member in his capacity as MLA from Kodangal constituency.
A total of 1,439 voters including municipal councillors, MPTCs, ZPTCs and ex-officio members were eligible to cast their votes. BRS had an absolute majority in local bodies as the party almost made a clean sweep in local bodies elections in 2019.
The main opposition party had a strength of 1,039 (71 per cent), Congress 241 (16.67 per cent), BJP 119 (8.23 per cent) and others 46 (3.18 per cent). However, cross-voting was feared in view of a series of jolts received by BRS since losing power to Congress six months ago.
The by-election was necessitated after Kasireddy Narayan Reddy of the BRS resigned and successfully contested as a Congress candidate from Kalwakurthy Assembly constituency in the elections held in November 2023.
The victory in MLC by-election came as a gift for BRS on the 10th Telangana formation day. It also came as a relief for the party, which suffered a big blow since losing power to the Congress party as several key leaders, including five MPs and three MLAs, quit the party to join Congress or BJP. The victory also came a day after the majority of the exit polls predicted that BRS may win 0-1 seats in Lok Sabha elections.
Victory hints at changing political dynamics in Telangana: KT Rama Rao
The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Working President KT Rama Rao said that the party's victory in the Mahabubnagar MLC by-elections signals a crucial turning point in the evolving political landscape of Telangana. He further said this victory in the local bodies' legislative council seat within the Chief Minister's home districts serves as a testament to the shifting political winds in the state.
Expressing happiness over the victory, KTR said, "Winning the MLC seat in the Chief Minister's home district is a moment of pride for us. This victory not only brings joy but also significantly increases our responsibilities. We are confident that this victory is just the beginning and will pave the way for many more successes in the future."
KTR said that the BRS successfully contested this election against the ruling party's enticements, highlighting a light on the failures of Congress's governance within a mere six months. He emphasised that this election was a clear demonstration of the electorate's discontent with the current ruling party and their trust in BRS's vision for Telangana. KTR reiterated that BRS has always been, and will continue to be, the only party for Telangana.
"This result once again proves that BRS is the household party of Telangana, reflecting the true aspirations of the people," he said.
KTR expressed his heartfelt congratulations to BRS's candidate Naveen Kumar Reddy on his victory in the Mahabubnagar local bodies' MLC election. He extended his gratitude to every party leader, MLA, former MLA, and especially the representatives of the local bodies in the Mahabubnagar district who dedicated their efforts to the party's success.
Furthermore, KTR thanked all the BRS family members who worked tirelessly for the party's victory in the Mahabubnagar local bodies' MLC by-election."This victory is a collective achievement, and it showcases the relentless dedication and hard work of our party members. We stand united and resolute in our mission to drive Telangana towards greater heights," KTR concluded.
2019 poll results
The party had bagged nine out of 17 Lok Sabha seats in the state in 2019.
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