Telugu Voters Superior But Need to Change?


The Telugu state politics are far superior when compared to other neighbouring states. This is primarily due to the fact that the Telugu states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana always give resounding mandates overwhelmingly in favour of one party.

In Andhra Pradesh, the electoral mandate since 2014 was largely one-sided. TDP+ alliance formed the government in 2014 with 100+ seats and it was a unanimous call. Then came the historic verdict in 2019 with Jagan forming government with 151 seats. And again, things went back to TDP+ in 2024 with 164 seats.

Even the Telangana voters are very clear with their mandate as they gave BRS power for 2 consecutive terms and then switched to Congress with 64 seats in 2023.

The difference here is that there is no case of hung or close election as the public mandate has been extremely decisive. In a way, this is a good thing, considering that we will have stable governments, regardless of the party.

But at the same time, a close election is not a bad result either. This will keep all the parties on the edge of their seats and would naturally require alliance with multiple parties where power is decentralised.

If there is a coalition government, there is always a chance for self scrutiny as all parties will look to keep each other in check. In the case of a monotonous government, like the earlier Jagan administration, things can go south quickly, much like how everyone saw.

So close action, like the one we saw in Tamil Nadu is not the worst thing that can happen here in the Telugu states as well.