Impact on Telangana politics
The most immediate result of the outcome is that TRS is missing numbers for its mayor to be elected. You would probably need the help of AIMIM or BJP.
Given that AIMIM has supported TRS in the past, the party will likely be able to rescue it. However, this would give BJP a chance to claim a nexus between the two. Its success would also encourage the BJP to play the Hindutva card as it did during the polls.
Up to 24 seats in the 119-member Telangana Assembly fall within the GHMC limits, which is roughly 20 percent. So BJP’s performance can make it well positioned in about 7-8 seats and become the main opposition in many others.
But the GHMC’s impact won’t be limited to these 24 seats. Hyderabad is home to thousands of migrants from other districts of Telangana. And the results here could also reflect the mood there. The BJP has already made inroads into northern Telangana, winning Adilabad, Karimnagar and Nizamabad in the Lok Sabha elections.
LB Nagar’s victory, however, could be indicative of a broader expansion. The area is home to several migrants from the Nalgonda district in southern Telangana. The district is a stronghold of Congress and is represented by Uttam Kumar Reddy, who has just resigned as head of state unit.
Furthermore, the shift of the vote from the TDP to the BJP could also lead to more defections from the former to the latter.
However, should Congress fail to take action to change course, its base could be in jeopardy as well.
Telangana has become West Bengal and Odisha, where the weakness of Congress against a dominant regional party has opened space for the BJP. With its massive resources, RSS support and hunger, the BJP seems like a more attractive option for those who oppose the regional party in power, be it TRS, TMC or BJD.
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