The key to the BJP’s potential success in the South lies in securing a strong regional ally or capitalising on the weakening of the incumbent. The idea of the BJP forming an alliance with Jana Sena Party (JSP) in Telangana was previously not widely considered, as it was primarily associated with Andhra Pradesh. However, the recent alliance with Jana Sena Party has sparked interest among voters. In the 2019 elections in Telangana, the BJP increased its seat share from one to four and boosted its vote share from 10.5% to 19%.
Notably, it achieved a surprising victory in Nizamabad, where TRS’s Kalvakuntla Kavitha, the MLC and daughter of Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao, lost to the BJP’s Dharmapuri Aravind by a margin of 70,000 votes. The BJP capitalised on the distress in the agriculture sector, diverting votes away from Kavitha. This demonstrated that the BJP could challenge a strong regional party, even one with a 41.29% vote share, by positioning itself as a viable alternative. But following the setback in Karnataka, the BJP experienced a loss of momentum in Telangana, prompting the party to pursue an alliance with Jana Sena Party.
The idea of the BJP forming an alliance with Jana Sena Party in Telangana was previously not widely considered, as it was primarily associated with Andhra Pradesh. However, the recent alliance with Jana Sena Party has sparked interest among voters. Given the resurgence of Congress, the BJP in Telangana seems to be evaluating the possibility of a hung situation. The party appears inclined to capitalise on opportunities that may arise in the post-poll scenario. Contrary to the notion of a hung assembly, BJP State President Kishan Reddy asserts that the BJP alone will constitute the government.
While the BJP allocated nine seats to Jana Sena Party for the Telangana elections, there is no mention from BJP candidates about power-sharing arrangements if the coalition forms the government. The BJP is solely concentrating on its plans if it assumes power, indicating a perceived discontent among candidates due to the alliance with Jana Sena Party. Particularly in Hyderabad’s Kukatpally segment, the BJP assigned the contesting ticket to a Jana Sena Party candidate, provoking dissatisfaction among BJP supporters in Kukatpally.
The coming electoral landscape will reveal whether the BJP’s alliance with Jana Sena Party proves to be a masterstroke or presents further challenges in its quest for political dominance in the youngest state.
