Warangal Lok Sabha bypoll: A referendum on Chandrasekhar Rao govt?

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao says that the Warangal Lok Sabha seat bypoll result will be a referendum on his government.

chandrashekar rao, Telangana, TRS, Telangana Rashtra Samiti, Warangal bypoll, Warangal by election, telangana news, india news, latest news

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao says that the Warangal Lok Sabha seat bypoll result will be a referendum on his government. (Source: file photo)

This is the first major bypoll after the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) swept to power last May and Telangana became a separate state. After nearly 17 months of rule, the TRS government claims it has done a lot of good work like ensuring 24 hours power supply, housing for the poor, etc, and so people are enthusiastic in support of the TRS.

The TRS is in a very strong position in Warangal where elections will be held on November 21. There is little opposition because the Congress had to replace its candidate Sircilla Rajaiah, former MP, who landed in controversy after his daughter-in-law committed suicide along with his three grandsons. The Congress replaced him with another former MP, Sarvey Satyanarayana. However, the Congress ran out of steam after the Rajaiah incident.

[related-post]

The TRS candidate Pasunuri Dayakar is likely to win with a good majority. In spite of issues like farmer suicides and a delay in the recruitment for government jobs – issues which the Congress, YSRCP, BJP-TDP and the Left may raise — sentiments for TRS and particularly for Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao run very high in the constituency.
While the BJP has negligible presence in Warangal, the TDP has some support base but the candidate chosen by the BJP-TDP, US returned doctor P Devaiah is not making much headway in his campaign. No senior BJP or TDP leader has campaigned for him except for Telangana BJP unit president G Kishan Reddy.

Reddy says that KCR and TRS have failed to deliver on their election promises and people were unhappy. Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee president N Uttam Kumar also accuses the TRS government of bad governance and not delivering.

Sreenivas Janyala

Sreenivas Janyala is a Deputy Associate Editor at The Indian Express, where he serves as one of the most authoritative voices on the socio-political and economic landscape of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. With a career spanning over two decades in mainstream journalism, he provides deep-dive analysis and frontline reporting on the intricate dynamics of South Indian governance. Expertise and Experience Regional Specialization: Based in Hyderabad, Sreenivas has spent more than 20 years documenting the evolution of the Telugu-speaking states. His reporting was foundational during the historic Telangana statehood movement and continues to track the post-bifurcation development of both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Key Coverage Beats: His extensive portfolio covers a vast spectrum of critical issues: High-Stakes Politics: Comprehensive tracking of regional powerhouses (BRS, TDP, YSRCP, and Congress), electoral shifts, and the political careers of figures like K. Chandrashekar Rao, Chandrababu Naidu, and Jagan Mohan Reddy. Internal Security & Conflict: Authoritative reporting on Left-Wing Extremism (LWE), the decline of the Maoist movement in former hotbeds, and intelligence-led investigations into regional security modules. Governance & Infrastructure: Detailed analysis of massive irrigation projects (like Kaleshwaram and Polavaram), capital city developments (Amaravati), and the implementation of state welfare schemes. Crisis & Health Reporting: Led the publication's ground-level coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic in South India and major industrial incidents, such as the Vizag gas leak. Analytical Depth: Beyond daily news, Sreenivas is known for his "Explained" pieces that demystify complex regional disputes, such as river water sharing and judicial allocations between the sister states. ... Read More