Telangana assembly results 2018: KCR’s gamble pays off, TRS set to form govt - Hindustan Times
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Telangana assembly results 2018: KCR’s gamble pays off, TRS set to form govt

Hindustan Times, Hyderabad | By
Dec 11, 2018 12:27 PM IST

The main challenge to TRS is the Maha Kootami or grand alliance of four parties led by the Congress. The Telugu Desam Party, which is in power in Andhra Pradesh, is part of this alliance, besides the Communist Party of India and the Telangana Jana Samithi.

At 11am on Tuesday during the counting of the votes, K Chandrashekar Rao’s Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) had raced ahead, leading on more than 80 seats. A party needs to win 60 seats to form a government in the state.

AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi has reiterated his support for TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao.(PTI file photo)
AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi has reiterated his support for TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao.(PTI file photo)

Meanwhile, the Congress-led Grand Alliance was leading in 25 seats. The BJP, which is hoping to get a larger pie out of the vote share as compared to the 2014 elections, has got a lead in two seats, three less than its tally in the 2014 elections.

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As the initial results came in, the Telangana Bhavan, the TRS headquarter, in Hyderabad was awash in a sea of pink as the party cadres, dressed in the party’s colour turned up to celebrate the party’s victory.

The TRS cadre celebrating outside party office say, “This is a no contest. It is a one-sided war. KCR garu will be chief minister again.”

TRS president and Telangana Caretaker Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao leading by 9,212 votes over his nearest Congress rival Vanteru Pratap Reddy in Gajwel constituency after the fifth round of counting.

K Kavitha KCR’s daughter in first comments said, “TRS going to massive mandate. Unlike Congress and the TDP, we did not cheat the people.”

K Kavitha, who is also a TRS MP, said, “We believe people of Telangana are with us. We have sincerely worked and utilised the opportunity given to us. So I believe voters will bring us back to power, and that too independently. We are very confident about it.”

Telangana voted on December 7 along with Rajasthan on the last day of voting in the assembly elections which are being seen as a semi-final before the next year’s Lok Sabha elections.

Earlier, the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president and Hyderabad member of Parliament Asaduddin Owaisi met Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) president and caretaker chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR), on Monday.

It is learnt that both leaders discussed the likelihood of no party getting an absolute majority in the assembly.

The main challenge to TRS is the Maha Kootami or grand alliance of four parties led by the Congress. The Telugu Desam Party, which is in power in Andhra Pradesh, is part of this alliance, besides the Communist Party of India and the Telangana Jana Samithi.

A delegation of the Maha Kootami met governor E S L Narasimhan on Monday evening, asking that they be treated as a single political entity which should be given the opportunity to form the government in the event of a hung assembly.

(Click here for Telangana assembly results live updates)

Owaisi, who had declared his support for the TRS whilst campaigning for the December 7 state polls, reiterated his support for KCR on social media platform Twitter. “Insha Allah, he will form the next government on its own and Majlis will stand by him. This is our first step towards the larger goal of nation building,” he tweeted on Monday morning.

He visited Pragathi Bhavan, the official residence and office of KCR on his Bullet motorbike in the afternoon. He was unaccompanied and remained there for two hours.

The TRS needs to win at least 60 seats in the 119 member strong assembly to form the next government in Telangana. The AIMIM, which contested in eight assembly segments, all in Hyderabad, expects to retain its seven seats, and will play a crucial role.

Over the weekend, BJP state president K Laxman said that the party will play a “vital role” in the formation of the next government. He said that the BJP will support the TRS if it did not ally with AIMIM. Party spokesperson K Krishnasagar Rao later said that Laxman’s comments were taken out of context.

TRS spokesman Bhanu Prasad rejected the BJP’s purported offer saying that the TRS will form the government on its own.

(Click here for Assembly election results live updates)

Exit polls have predicted that while the TRS will retain power, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) —which fought the elections alone this time around— might get between five and seven seats.

The Maha Kootami delegation led by Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee president N Uttam Kumar Reddy said the four parties had contested the elections together under a common agenda which was submitted to the Election Commission as well. After winning the elections, the alliance will collectively form the government and continue as partners.

“We met the governor to pre-empt any attempt to deny an opportunity to the People’s Front (Maha Kootami), as is being reported in a section of media,” he said.

With the AIMIM openly declaring its support to the TRS, the Congress is said to be luring independent candidates as well.

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  • ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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    Srinivasa Rao is Senior Assistant Editor based out of Hyderabad covering developments in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana . He has over three decades of reporting experience.

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