Poll surveys by channels give Congress the edge

Hyderabad: Poll surveys by a few national agencies have given the edge for the Congress in Telangana, if Lok Sabha polls are held now. While the BRS ruled out such a possibility, its leadership is analysing these reports and the impact they could have on the Assembly polls.

Congress leaders stated that the outcome reflected the ground reality in the state.

Surveys predicted that the Congress would bag seven out of the 17 MP seats, the highest in the last 10 years. They gave the BRS five seats (nine in 2019), the BJP four, same as in 2019, and the AIMIM retaining its Hyderabad seat.
The surveys said that the Congress would will get 38 per cent votes, against 29.79 percent earlier. The BRS will get 32 per cent votes (41.7 in 2019) and the BJP 23 (19.65).

The fall in the number of Lok Sabha seats, just when party president and Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao set out to play a key role in national politics, has been hard to digest for party leaders. The leadership has asked them to not react to the surveys.

CLP leader Bhatti Vikramarka said, “The days of BRS are numbered. We will romp home to power at the Centre and State. Rahul Gandhi has succeeded in taking the message of the party to the people.”

“People would like to see a change, hit by inflation owing to the rise in prices of petrol, diesel, cooking gas and essential commodities,” said Manthani MLA D. Sridhar Babu.

Former PCC president Ponnala Lakshmaiah said, “We know what we are doing. We are working for the people.”

TPCC vice-president Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy said the BRS had failed to deliver on water, funds and jobs and the government was debt-ridden.

Former MLA Eravathri Anil said anti-incumbency was the reason for the BRS getting fewer seats. B. Ayodhya Reddy, said the BJP had been relying on hate and divisive agendas while the BRS had failed to deliver on its promises. “The trend will further increase in our favour as the poll dates approach,” said TPCC general secretary Addanki Dayakar.