In Telangana, TRS is undoubtedly the dominant party. It was the first party formed with the single-point agenda of bifurcating Andhra Pradesh and creating Telangana. The party cited lack of development, disproportionate allocation of resources and employment, and differences in culture. TRS’s spearheading of the final Telangana Movement was ultimately successful in 2014, which elevated them to a much higher, distinct level, separate from other parties who also campaigned for separate statehood – TRS obtained a paternal image in the state.

In the first assembly elections, they won 63 out of 119 seats. Over the next 4 years, they poached several MLAs from different parties. TDP was virtually extinguished by this exercise, and independent candidates also were swept out. In the 2018 elections, they won 88 seats, but by 2022, they have already poached another 15 MLAs to bring them to a grand total of 103. They are a super-majority government, with strongholds in every region of Telangana. MLAs from other parties felt compelled to join the party so their assemblies also witnessed fast development, as was promised by the TRS government. So far, BJP and AIMIM were the only 2 parties from which elected MLAs have never defected to TRS.

TRS, in its 8 years of governance, has focused on appeasing varied voter bases by means of welfare schemes. This has led to 2 things – rapid development in many sectors – something which could not be attained in united Andhra Pradesh, and large voter groups who pledge loyalty to TRS. However, TRS has been inefficient in the delivery of many schemes – Double Bedroom Housing, for instance. The government also takes controversial decisions like GO 317 which alienates significant groups. TRS has not tapped into some key areas – employment is the biggest one of them.

TRS has several weak areas besides their inefficiencies, including

The feudal, nepotistic, corrupt conduct of KCR (especially evident in the cabinet – 62% is Upper Caste, only 11% women)
The promotion of caste-based occupations – eg distribution of sheep & goats to Golla Kuruma communities
The unjustified public spending (eg Rythu Bandhu which only benefits landowners, construction of new secretariat, etc)

While TDP may have diminished in the state completely, and AIMIM is unlikely to expand its reach beyond Hyderabad, TRS faces competition from 2 parties mainly – INC and BJP. INC is stronger in Southern Telangana (this regional bastion has been consistent for a long time) and BJP is stronger in North (evidenced by recent wins in Lok Sabha) and urban areas of GHMC (evidenced by recent wins in the corporation and generally due to BJP’s appeal in urban areas). Although TRS has only seen growth over the years, its future is uncertain. Elimination of multiple oppositions would turn the elections bipolar or tripolar, which would mean that the opposition vote would be consolidated. This would be harmful to TRS, which may face tough competition from nationally strong parties like BJP and regionally strong parties like INC.

AAP in Delhi, JD(U) in Bihar, TMC in West Bengal, and now, TRS in Telangana. All these political parties have one thing in common – they hired consultancies while still in power, to help them win in their respective upcoming elections. It might make sense for a losing party or candidate to hire a consultancy, but why do the winners need one too?

The answer is simple. Winning once doesn’t ensure re-election, no matter how successful the party’s governance was during their tenure. Democratic elections are popularity contests, which reward the one with the best narrative, not the highest virtue. Setting a narrative is not a one-time thing – just like advertising, it needs to be consistent and dynamic. And simply running advertisements doesn’t cut it, at least in politics. This is where consultants come in.

Political consultancies, like regular consultancies, are specialized companies which provide a range of services. During election time, their main function is narrative setting. Admittedly, there was no need for consultants in the past (consider democracy in the 20th century). Parties used to internally assess their position in the market and won based on strategies they devised. But in the 21st century, with everyone hiring external professionals, most political parties cannot survive or grow if they continue with the old model. These consultancies rely not on individual judgment, but rather on real-time data. They canvass voters more than ever before, locate trends and pain-points, and are able to set the right narrative – which is technically and logistically impossible for political parties to set themselves. They are able to expand the electorate by targeting groups which had previously never voted, and swing opinions using tools like social media aggressively.

Hence, be it a winning or losing party, consultancies have become inescapable players in the political process of India. LEADTECH, founded in 2008, is one of the pioneers in this industry. Over the past 15 years, LEADTECH has advised over 1400 politicians. We have collected data from over 3 crore households using innovative technology. Contact LEADTECH today to book an appointment.