On Sunday, the Bhartiya Janta Party clean-bowled the Congress in an open contest ahead of the general parliament elections of 2024. BJP won Rajasthan, MP, and Chattisgarh with huge margins, and the party grabbed 115, 163, and 54 seats in the respective states. The results almost ensure the hattrick of PM Modi’s victory as Prime Minister and becoming the only leader after Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru won three back-to-back elections as Prime Minister. However, Congress also gave hope by securing a proper mandate in Telangana by defeating the powerful regional party BRS.

However, Telangana gave the BJP immense pleasure because the party had never been in the race in Telangana, and they knew it. This election was to increase their presence & vote share in the State, and BJP did that handsomely. From 6.98% in 2018 to 13.90% in 2023. Despite that, the BJP had one more hidden Target in Telangana, and that was to hurt the political sentiments of sitting CM KCR.

In the modern political scenario, regional parties and AAP are a bigger threat to the identity of Bharat than Congress. The Regional Parties like BRS, DMK, SP, RJD, JDU, PDP, Shiv Sena, etc., will go to any extent of Linguistic and casteist Politics to retain hold on the State. These regional parties are the prime target of BJP leadership, and this time, K Chandrashekhar Rao was the target.

A closer look at the recent Telangana elections reveals an interesting pattern. Though the Congress has impressively increased its vote share in Telangana to 11%, a margin by which it lost out to incumbent CM KCR Rao, it is clear that the two parties have one core electorate. This natural variation heralds an interesting development. Even so, the big question arises: What has the BJP achieved with its impressive campaign strategy? The answer lies in the way he works. By conducting a high-profile campaign, the BJP ensured that the residual electoral share did not slide towards the KCR camp.

At the same time, it was able to strengthen its vote bank and secure its position as the second-best candidate in the country. This tactic not only prevents the spoiling of his voters but also creates a greater long-term impact. The aim of the BJP seems clear: to consolidate its position in the State by laying the foundation for a promising future in Telangana politics and potentially reducing KCR’s dominance.

Immediate Implications of Congress Triumph in Telangana

1. KCR lost the sheen & credibility that he was trying to show on the National Platform.
2. KCR can’t go to dotted things, which includes Congress, as it will finish his existence forever.
3. That means, either KCR has to perish or play to the tunes of the BJP without joining NDA. This means it keeps hurting Congress in Andhra, some parts of Karnataka & Maharashtra.
4. If ED now arrests KCR’s Daughter Kavitha in the Delhi Liquor Excise Policy Scam, KCR can’t call it a political vendetta as he is nowhere in political competition.
5. Kavitha can opt to become a witness in the case to evade arrest, which will be the death knell for Kejariwal.
6. By winning Telangana, Congress retains its nuisance value in the mainstream which means claiming its Leadership & ultimately the PM Chair in the Indian alliance.
7. This won’t go down well with other leaders of the alliance like Mamata Banerjee, Nitish Kumar, Arvind Kejriwal, Akhilesh Yadav, etc. It will finally puncture the dreams even before.
8. Lastly, it’s easier to dislodge Congress in any State than a regional party. BJP will go for a
   kill in 2028 and win in Telangana when Congress is facing massive anti-incumbency due to already emptied coffers by KCR.