TRS Retains Power With Landslide Win

Riding on a slew of welfare schemes, mega irrigation projects and the charismatic leadership of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR), the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) retained power by securing a landslide victory in the election to the Assembly held on December 7.

- Prashanth Chintala Ravi Reddy

The Congress-led rainbow alliance, called Praja Kutami (People's Front) that includes the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), the Telangana Jana Samithi (TJS) and the Communist Party of India (CPI), came a cropper. While the TRS won in 88 of the 119 constituencies, the Congress secured 19 seats and the TDP emerged victorious in just two constituencies. The TJS and the CPI drew a blank.

The results indicated that schemes like Rythu Bandhu, Rythu Bhima, Kalyana Lakshmi, Shaadi Mubarak, old age pensions and various caste-based welfare measures, introduced by the TRS government, were received well by the people and created a vote bank for the ruling party. The support extended by the All India MajliseIttahadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) to the TRS also seems to have helped it secure significant votes among the minorities.