WEB DESK / AMN / Hyderabad
DEMOLISHING all speculations, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi, TRS is set to form its second successive government in the state as the people have returned it to power with a thumping majority, a ringing endorsement of party chief K Chandrasekhar Rao’s populist policies.
It was evident as soon as counting started that the TRS juggernaut would not falter till it had captured the Assembly. The party has managed a little less than 90 seats so far in the 119-seat Assembly.
The People’s Front – a combine of the Congress, the TDP, the TJS and CPI – is likely to get around 20. The BJP will settle for 2, while the AIMIM is leading in 5 Assembly seats.
Analysts feel the Congress would have fared better if it had gone alone and not with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu.
Rao had dissolved the Assembly in September, eight months ahead of schedule, in a political gamble that paid off handsomely, as the party is expected to improve on its previous strength of 63 in the 119-seat Assembly.
However, TRS strength had risen to 82 after defections from TDP and Congress before the elections. “The people reposed faith in the leadership of our chief minister and they did not believe in the disinformation campaign of the opposition,” said T Harish Rao, a minister in the outgoing government and a nephew of Rao.
T Harish Rao has won by the highest margin this election, of 1.2 lakh votes. He has created a record by winning 6 times, scoring a double hat-trick .
In a major setback, however, for the TRS, three of its ministers T Thummala Nageswara Rao, Chandulal and Jupally Krishna Rao have lost to the Opposition.
Asaduddin Owaisi of the AIMIM — which KCR calls a “friendly party” — was the first winner to be declared from the Chandrayangutta Assembly constituency. The AIMIM looks set to bag five seats.
State Caretaker Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao won by over 51 thousand votes. He defeated Congress candidate Pratap Reddy from Gajwel. TRS senior leader Harish Rao won from Siddipet by over one lakh 20 thousand votes against his nearest TJS rival Bhavani Reddy. Raja Singh of the BJP won Goshamahal seat.
In Rajasthan, 113 results have been declared. Congress has won 60 constituencies and leading in 44 while BJP got 37 and is leading on 32. BSP got 4 and RLD one.
Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje has won from Jhalarapatan defeating her nearest Congress rival Manvendra Singh who left BJP just before the elections. Speaker of state Assembly and BJP candidate Kailash Chandra Meghwal won from Shahpura reserved seat.
He defeated his nearest rival of Congress Mahaveer Prasad by a margin of over 56000 votes. State Congress Chief Sachin Pilot of Congress has won from Tonk defeating BJP candidate Yoonus Khan by over 54 thousand votes. Former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot of Congress has won Sardarpura constituency defeating BJP rival Shambhu Singh Khetasar by a margin of over 44 thousand votes.
Home Minister and BJP candidate Gulab Chand Kataria, Education Minister Vasudev Devnani, Women and Child development minister Anita Bhadel and Higher Education Minister Kiran Maheshwari have won their respective seats. However, P.H.E.D. minister Sudheel Katara lost from Chorasi seat. Congress candidate C.P.Joshi is leading in Nathdwara.
In Madhya Pradesh, 51 results have come in. BJP has won 16 seats and leading in 86 while Congress won 33 and leading in 85. SP got one seat and is leading in one.
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is leading in Budhni constituency. Opposition leader and Congress candidate Ajay Singh is leading in Churhat, former Chief Minister and Congress leader Digvijay Singh’s son Rajyavardhan Singh has won from Raghogarh.
BJP national general Secretary Kailash Vijaywargiya’s son Akash Vijaywargiya is trailing on the Indore-3 seat. Congress candidate Sartaj Singh who contested against BJP leader and assembly Speaker Sitasharan Sharma was trailing on Hoshangabad seat. Former Chief Minister Babu Lal Gaur’s daughter-in-law and BJP candidate Krishna Gaur was leading from Govindpura seat.
In Chhattisgarh, 10 results have been declared. Congress got 9 seats and leading in 55 while BJP bagged one and leading in 17.
Chief Minister Raman Singh is leading in Rajnandgaon constituency. Congress candidate and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s niece Karuna Shukla is trailing on the same seat.
Former Chief Minister and Janta Congress Chhattisgarh leader Ajit Jogi is leading on Marwahi seat and his wife Renu Jogi from Kota. State Congress President Bhupesh Baghel is leading from Patan seat.