HYDERABAD: Have by-elections in Telangana become prestigious and expensive for political parties, especially for the ruling TRS? It appears so, going by the number of sops announced by the government in the constituencies that are going to bypolls.
Until 2019, bypolls to both assembly and Lok Sabha constituencies were not considered significant and touted as ‘local’. For that matter, the government too did not pay much attention to the by-elections.
However, the scenario changed with Huzurnagar assembly bypolls held in October 2019, which was vacated by former TPCC president N Uttam Kumar Reddy after getting elected from Nalgonda Lok Sabha seat.
To win the election, chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao announced sops worth Rs 100 crore to the assembly constituency. After losing Dubbak in another by-election to BJP last year, KCR personally monitored the campaign in Nagarjuna Sagar and visited the constituency twice and showered sops worth over Rs 2,000 crore, mainly various lift irrigation schemes and funds for the civic bodies in Nalgonda district.
Now for the upcoming Huzurabad assembly by-election, the ruling party is focusing on the campaign and working out a strategy to win the poll at any cost. The state government is expected to spend about Rs 3,000 crore on various schemes and developmental works in the constituency ahead of the by-election.
Apart from taking up Dalit Bandhu pilot project in Huzurabad, the government started sheep distribution, funds for civic bodies and took up other schemes to attract the voters.
“The parties, especially the TRS, are giving importance to the by-elections now because of the high stakes involved with these polls. Timing of the election is also important. Huzurabad is important as the TRS wants to defeat Eatala Rajender come what may. The election results will also have an impact on the next general elections,” political analysts professor K Nageshwar said.
