Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday lost out on one of the biggest prestige battles for him. Unable to match up to the silent KCR wave in Telangana, the Mahakutami, an alliance that Naidu scripted, lost what could have been the stepping stone to an anti-BJP allied force.

While the alliance’s campaigning was relentless, enough to unsettle KCR, Naidu still could not pull off a win. And now, Naidu has to fight yet another battle to stay relevant.

Late in October, Naidu made a packed visit to New Delhi and met several opposition leaders. During one press conference during his visit, Naidu did not rule out joining hands with the Congress to defeat the BJP ahead of 2019.

While Naidu has been critical of the Congress too for its unkept promise on Andhra Pradesh special category status, he joined hands with them in Telangana ahead of the state elections later this year.

The alliance’s campaigning was relentless, enough to unsettle KCR. Not making his anger against BJP any subtle, Naidu’s plans of defeating the BJP in Telangana were supposed to give the anti-BJP front a boost nationally too.

Naidu is not a freshman to coalition politics. He was the convenor of the United Front in 1996, which TDP was a part of. Before that, TDP’s founder NT Rama Rao was significant in forming the National Front led by Janata Dal in 1989.

While his message by aligning with the Congress was clear—that he intended to not remain isolated—it was not enough.

It is also believed that Naidu had, on the basis of his own surveys, suggested to the Congress about the candidates to be fielded. Now with the loss in Telangana, his dreams of being the convenor of the anti-BJP front will see a roadblock.

Analysts, however, believe that Naidu will do everything in his might to stay relevant. This alliance in Telangana will have a huge impact on what happens in Naidu’s bastion, Andhra Pradesh. Jana Sena will not align with the TDP and YSR is Naidu’s arch rival in the state.

“Now, the ball is in Congress’s court. Local Congress leaders, however, will fight a possible alliance in Andhra. If the Congress decides to go separate ways, Naidu has nowhere to go,” said one analyst, adding that one can still not dismiss him nationally as Naidu will “continue to move in the circle.”

Further, Naidu is all set to return home to Andhra to a lot of criticism. The state is grappling with major infrastructure and development work, including its capital city Amaravati.

While Naidu has grand plans for the capital city, him not being available as much (owing to scripting an anti-BJP front and the Telangana elections) will be his Achilles heel.

Additionally, the fact that certain parts of the state are grappling with drought will further accelerate the anti-wave.

TDP Supremo’s wily tactics were out rightly rejected by Telangana voters. Nara Chandrababu Naidu thought if he ropes in a family member from Late Nandamuri Harikrishna’s family, he would score many points politically.

First and foremost, he thought he would make NTR Jr to come out for campaigning for TDP. Second, sympathy wave would work in favour of their party. Thus he had given TDP ticket to Nandamuri Suhasini, daughter of late Harikrishna.

When her name was announced, TDP force was in jubilant mood but their enthusiasm started waning out when she started speaking.

Her speeches were awful. She doesn’t even frame a sentence in Telugu properly. It was soon clear that she was wrong choice.

Much to the embarrassment to Naidu, both NTR Jr and Kalyan Ram had refrained from campaigning for their sister. They didn’t enter into the field at all.

And Nandamuri Balakrishna who campaigned for Suhasini became a laughing stock with his speeches.

As expectedly, Nandamuri Suhasini lost in the elections.

Nandamuri Suhasini secured 70563 votes, while TRS’s Madhavaram Krishna Rao won hands down with total votes of 111612. Madhavaram Krishna Rao got whopping 40k majority over her.

All in all, poor Nandamuri Suhasini became a scapegoat in Babu’s scheme of things.

Leader of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader Akbaruddin Owaisi retained the Chandrayangutta constituency for the 5th time by defeating Bin Obaid Misi of the Congress. Akbaruddin has been winning the seat since 1999.

The Chandrayangutta constituency is a stronghold of the Majlis and has always been loyal to the Owaisis. While Congress’ candidate was a bodybuilder and gym trainer, BJP fielded a Muslim woman from ABVP, Syed Shehzadi.

The Chandrayangutta seat was earlier a stronghold of Amanullah Khan who was close aide of Akbaruddin’s father and AIMIM founder Salauddin Owaisi. After Amanullah Khan retained it from 1978, Akbaruddin contested the seat in 1999 and defeat Khan. However, the turnout of the constituency remained low at 46.11%.

Thanking the people of Telangana for believing in the Telangana Rashtra Samithi for the win, TRS leader KT Rama Rao tweeted: “Grateful, Indebted & Humbled. Thanks Telangana for keeping the faith in KCR garu and giving us another opportunity to serve you.”

An exuberant KTR posted a picture with the tweet in which he is seeing playing the drums with an expression of triumph. Looks like it is indeed a day of celebrations for TRS leaders and the cadre!

Even his sister Kavitha Rao said that the people of Telangana have faith in KCR and hence, have voted him to power. “They have received the benefits of our government’s welfare schemes and we are proud that they have chosen us,” she added.

Hyderabad: The Congress party in Telangana not only suffered a huge defeat in Assembly elections but also faced embarrassment as almost all its top leaders were humbled.

Leaders who were seen as the Chief Ministerial candidate in the event of a Congress-led People’s Front victory were also defeated.

K. Jana Reddy, who was Leader of Opposition in the dissolved Assembly, lost in Nagarjunasagar constituency.

Congress Working President Revanth Reddy, whose arrest last week triggered a huge row, failed to retain the Kodangal seat.

A former leader of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), he had joined the Congress early this year and was recently appointed the Working President of the state unit.

Revanth had declared after polling that if he loses he would quit politics. Telangana Rashtra Samithi’s P. Narendra Reddy defeated the Congress leader by 9,077 votes.

Another Congress Working President, Ponnam Prabhakar, lost in Karimnagar. Former central Minister Sarve Satyanarayana failed to win from Secunderabad Cantonment. Former Deputy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Damodar Rajanarasimha lost the election from Andole.

Senior Congress leaders and former Andhra Pradesh Ministers J. Geeta Reddy, D.K. Aruna, Jeevan Reddy, Komatreddy Venkat Reddy, Ponnala Lakshmaiah, Mohammed Ali Shabbir, Konda Surekha, G. Chinna Reddy, N. Janardhan Reddy and Mukesh Goud were all defeated.

Hyderabad: The dress rehearsal of TDP-Congress alliance has miserably failed as people have outright reject the unholy nexus which was dubbed as a precursor to the 2019 general election, YSR Congress has said and congratulated TRS for its overwhelming victory in the Telangana elections.

Speaking to reporters here on Tuesday Party General Secretary Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy said, ‘Chandrababu Naidu has put his three forces of money, media and manipulation to the fore in the Telangana elections and allied with Congress to gain entry into the national scene and fell flat as people had rejected the aberrant combination resolutely.

Chandrababu had made Telangana the testing ground for the alliance with Congress and had fluxed the state with the money he had plundered in Andhra Pradesh and had to beat a hasty retreat as the people had give a resolute mandate against him and his allies.

He had used money, media and manipulation with all his dexterity by bringing in psephologists like Lagadapati Rajagopal to step up the stakes with his unusual predictions to upkeep the curiosity though the results had shown that it was a one-sided match.

People have understood the true colours of Chadnrababu Naidu and in the 2019 elections too they will give the same treatment to him, he said.

Meanwhile, in a separate press conference party spokesperson Ambati Rambabu said, ‘TDP has come to a near zero in Telangana and the replica would be seen in Andhra Pradesh as well as the Party would be defeated at any place.

Chandrababu has donned the role Congress treasurer in the election and people have taught a fitting lesson to the two parties.

In a huge shocker, Congress sitting MLA and former minister T Jeevan Reddy has been defeated by TRS candidate Dr Sanjay Kumar with 57,127 vote majority in the Jagityal constituency. Jagityal has been Jeevan Reddy’s strong forte, as he has won the elections 6 times in his political career.

Incidentally, Jeevan Reddy defeated Dr Sanjay Kumar with 7,828 vote margin in the 2014 assembly elections. But due to a pre-poll understanding between the Prajakutami, TDP’s L Ramana withdrew from the contest in 2018 and supported Jeevan Reddy’s candidacy. This made everyone believe that Jeevan will win the 2018 with flying colours.

KCR’s daughter and TRS’ Nizamabad MP Kalvakuntla Kavitha has played a key role in Sanjay Kumar’s victory. She had personally called on the disappointed TRS leaders in Jagityal and ensured their support to Sanjay. Also, Sanjay’s whirlwind campaign is another reason behind TRS snatching the victory from Congress.

Jeevan Reddy had first won from Jagityal on a TDP ticket in 1983. He later joined Congress and won the elections in 1989, 1996 (by-election), 1999, 2004, 2016. He had also served as a minister in the YS Rajashekara Reddy cabinet. Jeevan’s dream to win the Jagityal seat for a record 7th time has been shattered by the TRS wave.

Actor turned politician Bandla Ganesh’s political journey suddenly hits a major roadblock, now that the results for the Telangana state Assembly elections have been declared. Bandla had joined the Telangana Congress and was later made the party’s official spokesperson after being denied a ticket.

During one of the TV interviews as part of the election campaigns, Bandla Ganesh exuded total confidence in Congress winning the elections and forming the government in Telangana. At one point, Ganesh even went on to say that he will commit suicide by slitting his throat with a 7 O’ Clock blade if Congress loses.

Now that the Congress and the Prajakutami have suffered a humiliating defeat, Bandla Ganesh is trending prominently on social media. The hashtag #Gonthukosukuntaa and several memes with 7 O’ Clock blades and Bandla Ganesh are also doing the rounds on Twitter and Facebook. The big question now is – “Where is Bandla Ganesh?”