Telangana elections


It was a dream come true for Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) and its founder president K. Chandrasekhara Rao whose party won a landslide victory in April 2014 assembly polls (for the united Andhra for the last time) which were held concurrently with the Lok Sabha elections across the country.

The elections for both the assembly and Lok Sabha seats were held for the newly carved Telangana and left over state of Andhra during the seventh phase of general elections on 30 April 2014. And the election results were declared on 16 May 2014.

In order to complete the formality of creating a new state, the President issued a gazette notification that Telangana will be carved out of Andhra Pradesh on 2 June 2014 and thus the long-felt desire of the people of this region was fulfilled after decades of agonising wait.

TRS all the way, forms new government

Out of the 119 assembly constituencies spread across 10 districts of Telangana, KCR-led party won 63 seats, followed by the Congress at 21, TDP 15, AIMIM 7, BJP 5, YSR Congress 3 and others 5.

In Lok Sabha elections for 17 seats in all for Telangana, t he pro-statehood party TRS got 11, the Congress 2, TDP+BJP combine 2, MIM 1 and others 1.

Within one year, the ruling TRS increased its assembly strength from 63 to 76 with 13 members from the opposition parties defecting to it.

Along with a nominated member from the Anglo-Indian community, the TRS tally has reached 77. Besides, it has the support from 7 MLAs from AIMIM and one member from YSR Congress.

It is obvious from the poll results, that the people have voted overwhelming for TRS which literally rode high on the Telangana wave and the Congress faced drubbing both in Seemandhra and Telangana regions as many of their stalwarts bite the dust trounced by rival TRS and TDP candidates in their respective constituencies.

Legislative council polls: TRS 5, Congress 1

Out of the 120-member legislative assembly (including one nominated member), 118 lawmakers voted to elect six members to the council even as the two MLAs from CPI and CPI (M) abstained from the exercise.

Telangana deputy CM Kadiam Srihari who resigned as Lok Sabha MP after he was inducted into the state cabinet in January 2015 was elected along with four others of his party to the legislative council.

Roads and buildings minister T. Nageswara Rao who had defected from the TDP and was sworn in as minister in December 2014 was not a member of either house of legislature. Hence, he was also elected to the council.

B. Venkateshwarlu, N. Vidyasagar and K. Yadav Reddy were other TRS members who got a berth at the legislative council with the main opposition Congress bagging the sixth seat.

Telangana: Fact file

  • 1948: Princely state of Hyderabad which comprised different regions including Telangana annexed by the Indian Union under Operation Polo
  • 1950: Telangana becomes Hyderabad State
  • Nov 1, 1956: Telangana merges with Andhra State, which is carved out of Madras State, to form Andhra Pradesh, a state for Telugu-speaking people
  • 1969: ‘Jai Telangana’ movement for separate statehood to Telangana begins. Over 300 people killed in police firing
  • 1975: Presidential order issued to implement Six Point Formula providing some safeguards to Telangana
  • 1997: BJP supports demand for Telangana state; promises ‘one vote two states’ the following year
  • 2001: K. Chandrasekhara Rao floats Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) to revive Telangana movement
  • 2004: TRS fights elections in alliance with the Congress, wins five Lok Sabha and 26 assembly seats
  • UPA includes Telangana issue in common minimum programme
  • 2008: TDP announces support for Telangana demand
  • 2009: TRS contests elections in alliance with TDP but its tally comes down to 2 Lok Sabha and 10 assembly seats
  • Sept 2, 2009: Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy dies in helicopter crash, triggering political uncertainty
  • Oct 2009: KCR begins fast-unto-death for Telangana
  • Dec 9, 2009: Centre announces its decision to initiate the process for formation of Telangana
  • Dec 23, 2009: Following protests in Rayalaseema and Andhra regions (Seemandhra) and en mass resignations of MPs and state legislators, the Centre puts the process on hold
  • Feb 3, 2010: Centre sets up the 5-member Srikrishna committee on the feasibility of Telangana formation
  • Dec 2010: Srikrishna committee submits its report, suggests six options
  • July 30, 2013: UPA coordination panel and Congress Working Committee decide to carve out Telangana state
  • Oct 3, 2013: Union cabinet approves proposal to divide Andhra. GoM constituted to prepare the roadmap for division
  • Oct 25, 2013: Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy revolts. Urges PM and President to stop bifurcation
  • Dec 5, 2013: Union cabinet approves draft Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill 2013
  • Bill sent to President Pranab Mukherjee with a request to make a reference to Andhra Pradesh legislature to obtain its views under Article 3 of the Constitution
  • Dec 16, 2013: Bill introduced in both houses of state legislature even as Seemandhra and Telangana lawmakers clash
  • Jan 8, 2014: After disruptions for several days, debate finally begins on the bill in assembly and council
  • Jan 21, 2014: State government seeks four more weeks to debate the bill. President grants one week
  • Jan 27, 2014: Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy gives notice to assembly speaker for a resolution to reject the bill
  • Jan 30, 2014: Amid ruckus, both houses of state legislature reject the bill and appeal to the President not to send the bill to parliament
  • Feb 5, 2014: Chief Minister stages a sit-in dharna in Delhi to oppose bifurcation
  • Feb 7, 2014: Union cabinet clears the bill and rejects Seemandhra leaders’ demand to make Hyderabad a union territory. Bill sent to the President for his approval to table it in parliament
  • Feb 11, 2014: 6 MPs from Seemandhra move no-confidence motion against government
  • Feb 13, 2014: Bill introduced in Lok Sabha amid clashes between MPs from Seemandhra and Telangana. L. Rajagopal, a MP from Seemandhra, uses pepper spray in the house. Speaker suspends 16 MPs including Rajagopal for rest of the session
  • Feb 18, 2014: Lok Sabha passes Telangana bill
  • May-June 2014: United Andhra goes to polls for the last time
  • June 2, 2014: Telangana is born