The Bharat Rashtra Samithi, headed by former Telangana chief minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, which suffered a humiliating defeat in the recent state assembly elections, is poised for further setbacks in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, as per a recent survey.
The survey, conducted by the Hyderabad-based survey agency People’s Pulse in collaboration with an English website, suggests that the Congress is likely to secure 10 out of the 17 parliamentary seats in the state. This marks a significant improvement from the party's performance in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls when it managed to win only three seats.
On the other hand, despite the Bharatiya Janata Party's increased tally in the state assembly elections, jumping from one seat in 2018 to eight seats recently, it may not see substantial gains in the Lok Sabha polls despite the widespread Ram Temple fervor across the state. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP secured four seats, but it is projected to secure only 2-4 seats this time.
Contrarily, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi, which won nine Lok Sabha seats in 2019, is expected to further decline to three seats, with a potential of winning two additional seats if it campaigns vigorously.
The survey, conducted between February 11 and 17 with a sample size of 4,600 in each constituency, indicates that the Congress is likely to maintain its vote share from the assembly elections, securing around 39.4 percent of votes. Conversely, the BJP may witness an increase in vote share, rising from 13.9 percent in the assembly polls to 23 percent in the Lok Sabha elections, largely attributed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's influence.
Meanwhile, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi is anticipated to suffer a six-percentage-point decline in vote share, from 37.4 percent to 31 percent.
The tracker poll forecasts that the Congress will maintain its lead across all poll parameters, including age groups, communities, gender, and geographical areas.
There appears to be a shift of Muslim voters from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi to the Congress for the Lok Sabha elections, with 52 percent favoring the grand old party. The Bharat Rashtra Samithi's share of Muslim votes is expected to decrease to 38 percent, according to the survey.
Despite being in power in Telangana for under three months, the Congress may still benefit from a positive perception of its governance, with around 34 percent of respondents rating it as good, and 33 percent deeming it "okay." However, complaints from the public have not yet become prominent.
