BJP too struggles in Telangana

Hyderabad: After the bifurcation of the erstwhile state of Andhra Pradesh, and the dominance of the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS), important political parties are disappearing from the political stage in Telangana state. 

In the 2014 assembly elections, the TD won 15 seats in alliance with the BJP. But in the recent Telangana assembly elections the TD won only two seats. The TRS is trying to get the two TD MLAs to cross over so that there will be no representation of the TD in the assembly just like in the Legislative Council, where the same tactic was used. 

The main opposition party, the Congress, is facing almost the same situation. In 2014, the Congress won 21 seats and in the recent Telangana assembly elections it won 19 seats. After March 2019, the Congress party will not have representation in the Legislative Council, as four Congress MLAs joined the TRS recently. There is no guarantee that all the 19 MLAs will continue in the party. With defeats in two consecutive assembly elections, there is little confidence among Congress leaders and cadre that their party can bounce back.

The BJP too is struggling for its existence in the state despite being in power at the centre. In the 2014 assembly elections, the BJP won five seats but in the recent assembly elections it won just one seat, and BJP candidates lost their deposits in more than 100 assembly constituencies out of the 118 it contested. In the Telangana Legislative Council, the lone BJP member will retire in March and after that, the party will not have any representation in the Council. 

If the political situation in the state continues as at present there will be no strong opposition to the TRS in the state.