In what can be called as the turnaround moment in the history of Telangana politics and a wake-up call for the monopolistic TRS party, the result of the Dubbaka bypoll has garnered a very significant attention.
Despite all the odds, the BJP candidate Raghunandan Rao has emerged victorious with a respectable margin. Within no time, the analysts have gotten onto this result and are sharing their views.
Meanwhile, TRS president K T Rama Rao also convened a press meet and shared his thoughts. While he gracefully accepted the defeat on behalf of the party he also mentioned it is time for some introspection. To help the party in that aspect, here are few outsider views.
In Andhra Pradesh, at the Nandyal bypolls, TDP had won and this gave the party a huge overconfidence. At that time, Jagan gave a statement which meant “We got beaten this time but we will get our chance to beat them.”
Immediately he got onto Pada Yatra, started mingling with the people and went to the grass root to understand their pulse. And that led to his victory.
Taking that as the reference, here, Dubbaka election is the first ever defeat for TRS in a by-poll. It is here that KTR needs to delve deep into the cause for this anti-incumbency.
Are the people thinking the government has become a family centric power like in monorchial times?
Also, lately, a lot of hobnobbing is happening with the film celebrities. Is the government only meant for the rich and powerful and not for the real people?
There is an immediate need for the party to correct their image. Secondly, they need to really be very approachable to the public.
The leaders need to be very humble and modest with them. Lately, reports are coming that the MLAs are throwing their weight with least dignity. Recently, one video also came to light.
This was the video of the TRS MLA Subhash Reddy who started touring his constituency on a boat four days after the recent rain flood has submerged all areas.
As he was going, one housewife atop a building asked him “Is this the time to come after all damage has been done. What about our situation?”
For this, instead of giving an assuring reply, Subhash Reddy replied “Who asked you to build your house on a lake?”.
The lady was shrewd enough and she retorted “Then why did the government give permission to build? If you act smart, I will write your name on a note and commit suicide.” Subhash Reddy lost his colors.
Elected representatives should never give such type of reply to people. It only reflects arrogance and brings a tarnished stain to the party as a whole. And if they throw this attitude, people know how to cut the leaders to size. With the GHMC elections round the corner, such elements play a very crucial role.
All in all, it is about time TRS goes in for an image correction else this could be the beginning of their downfall.
