TRS puts lot at stake to win its last poll, before BRS rises

Hyderabad: Two public meetings by Chief Minister and party supremo K. Chandrashekar Rao, deployment of 14 ministers, 86 MLAs, several MLCs for over a month in the constituency has turned the Munugode bypoll one of the most focused elections ever fought by the TRS.

The party’s top leadership has left nothing to chance to ensure a victory in the bypoll, from the day Congress MLA Rajgopal Reddy announced his resignation to the Legislative Assembly on August 2 to join BJP, and forced a bypoll.

The TRS leadership had decided to rename their party, the TRS, as BRS, to play a key role in national politics in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. The BRS, the party hopes, would emerge as a strong alternative to BJP-led NDA.

The party even passed a resolution on October 5, on the occasion of Dasara, renaming TRS as BRS. It petitioned the Election Commission of India for approval of the change in name on October 6, which is pending with ECI.

The party expects the Commission to approve the name change to BRS soon after the Munugode results are declared on November 6.

Keeping this in mind, the party leadership has set a target of a bumper majority for the party's rank and file to ensure victory for the TRS, fighting for the last with that name, in the Munugode bypoll. A victory would be a highpoint to bid adieu to the 21-year old spectacular political journey of TRS and begin a new “victory march” of the BRS from Munugode.

The party adopted a “dual” strategy to emerge victorious in Munugode. In the first stage, the party launched ‘operation Akarsh’ to lure local Congress and BJP leaders into the TRS fold. They were identified as those who were upset with Rajgopal for quitting Congress and joining the BJP.

Almost all sarpanches, MPTCs, ZPTCs, ward members, councillors of the Congress and BJP joined the TRS in quick time. This operation to distance local Congress and BJP leaders from Rajgopal went on till Dasara.

Post the festival, the TRS party leadership deployed 14 ministers, 86 party MLAs and MLCs, who were asked to camp in the constituency and hold the campaigning momentum till November 1, deadline for campaigning to end.

Each minister, MLA, MLC was made in-charge for two or three villages. They engaged in campaigning door-to-door every day and besides holding road shows, street corner meetings.

The CM held two public meetings in the constituency, one at Munugode on August 22 and another at Chandur on October 30. The CM did not take part in Dubbak and Huzurabad bypoll campaigning but addressed two public meetings in Munugode.

TRS working president K.T. Rama Rao announced that he would adopt Munugode and develop the constituency on all fronts during the remaining 14 months tenure of their government, if voters elect TRS in the bypoll. The CM promised to fulfil all promises made to the people within 15 days of TRS victory in bypoll.