TRS secures majority in Telangana, heads for landslide

Business Standard: The TRS will form its second successive government in Telangana where it has won a simple majority and is heading for a landslide with its candidates clinching 60 seats and leading in 27 others, in a resounding endorsement of its chief K Chandrasekhar Rao's popularity.

Rao himself won by a margin of over 51,000 votes from his Gajwel seat, trouncing V Pratap Reddy of the Congress.

Rao's son K T Rama Rao and nephew T Harish Rao, both ministers in his caretaker government, also won. The Congress has clinched 13 seats so far and is leading in six. Its ally TDP is leading in two seats.

Rao had dissolved the Assembly in September, eight months ahead of schedule, in a political gamble that paid off handsomely, as the party is expected to improve on its previous strength of 63 in the 119-seat Assembly. However, TRS's strength had risen to 82 after defections from TDP and Congress.

"The people reposed faith in the leadership of our chief minister and they did not believe in the disinformation campaign of the opposition," said T Harish Rao, a minister and nephew of Chandrasekhar Rao who won the Siddipet seat by a staggering 1,18,499 votes said.

Though only 60 seats are required for a simple majority, the TRS looks set to end up with close to three fourths of the seats in its kitty. BS