With a series of setbacks, BJP loses momentum in TS

Hyderabad The series of electoral reverses in Telangana over last two months have dealt a huge blow to Bhrataiya Janata Party's ambitious 'Mission 2023' which it had set out for itself after the victory in Dubbak Assembly by-election and impressive performance in Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) polls late last year.

Despite wresting Dubbak seat from ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) in November and subsequent huge gains in GHMC, the saffron party failed to keep the momentum going.

With the TRS bouncing back after poor performance in the two elections, BJP suffered back-to-back defeats in the elections to two graduates' constituencies of Legislative Council, by-polls to Nagarjuna Sagar Assembly seat and more recently in the polls held for seven Urban Local Bodies (ULBs).

The BJP, which was projecting itself as the real alternative to TRS, is suddenly finding itself on a sticky ground with questions being raised on its capability to provide a viable alternative to the TRS.In Legislative Council elections in March, it lost the only seat it was holding in the upper house of the state legislature to TRS. The saffron party's Ramchander Rao failed to retain Mahbubnagar-Rangareddy-Hyderabad, losing to TRS candidate Vani Devi, daughter of former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao.

BJP's performance was more disastrous in the other constituency. Its candidate Permender Reddy finished poor fourth in Nalgonda-Warangal-Khammam.The stakes were high for both the TRS and the BJP as the two MLC constituencies were spread over 70 Assembly segments or more than half of the total Assembly seats. The setback hit the BJP's morale ahead of by-election to Nagarjuna Sagar Assembly seat. The ruling party comfortably retained the seat with its candidate Nomula Bhagat trouncing his nearest rival and senior Congress leader K. Jana Reddy.