Bharat Rashtra Samithi president and Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao is going all out to return to power in the state for the third successive term in the coming assembly elections in the state.
But the ground reports suggest that all is not well with the BRS due to various factors including increasing anti-incumbency, growing disgruntlement against the local MLAs, unrest among the unemployed youth and also fatigue factor.
However, sentiment-wise, KCR is still strong compared to the other two major parties – the Congress and the BJP. He is still trying to exploit the Telangana sentiment and recalling how he had almost lost his life to bring separate state to the region.
There is also another strong sentiment working in favour of KCR. And if this sentiment is correct, he is sure to come back to power. All said and done, politicians and film personalities have a strong belief in sentiments.
So, what is the sentiment? It is the Gajwel sentiment.
According to this, any political party, whose candidate wins the Gajwel seat, will come to power and form the government. This has been happening since 1983. And the record has been maintained for the last nine elections.
In 1983 elections, Allam Sailu of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) won the seat which was then reserved for scheduled castes (SC). It was the first election for TDP which stormed to power in a record time after its formation. In 1985, another TDP candidate B Sanjeeva Rao won the seat and the TDP returned to power again.
In 1989, Congress candidate and former minister J Geetha Reddy won from Gajwel and the Congress came to power. In 1994, the TDP came to power again, as it candidate G Vijayarama Rao won the seat.
In 1999, too, the TDP retained power in the state as its candidate B Sanjeeva Rao won the Gajwel seat.
In 2004, Geetha Reddy won the seat and the Congress came to power. In 2009 elections, too, the Congress retained power, as its candidate Tumkunta Narasa Reddy won from Gajwel.
In 2014 and 2018, the Gajwel seat was wrested by chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and needless to say, his party TRS (Now BRS) came to power in the last two terms.
It will be interesting to see whether Gajwel will retain its unique track record in the upcoming 2023 Telangana Assembly polls slated for November 30. KCR is in the fray again, trying his luck for a third consecutive term as MLA from this seat and as Chief Minister too.
There is also another sentiment attached to Gajwel, which might go against KCR. No individual secured a third consecutive term as MLA from Gajwel since 1952. However, Gajwel Saidiah of Congress won it three times –1962, 72 and 78, but it was not in consecutive terms.
That way, KCR is going to face a tough time to win the seat. But going by the Gajwel sentiment, if Eatala Rajender wins the seat, will the BJP come to power in the state?
That is the million dollars question!