In a nail-biting climax to the 2023 Telangana Assembly elections, the results for Andole Assembly Constituency have been declared, with C Damodar Rajanarsimha of the Congress  secured a commanding victory with a total of 114,147 votes, defeating his rival, Chanti Kranthi Kiran of the BRS, who garnered 85,954 votes.

The pivotal battlefield in Andole witnessed a fierce competition among key candidates, including C. Damodar Rajanarsimha from Congress, Pally Babu Mohan from the BJP, and Chanti Kranthi Kiran from the BRS, alongside various independent candidates.

Andole, part of the 119 constituencies where elections were held on November 30 has historically been a closely contested seat. In the 2018 elections, Kranthi Kiran Chanti of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (now BRS) secured victory with 104,229 votes, maintaining a 16,465 vote lead and a 53 per cent vote share. C. Damodar Rajanarsimha, the Congress candidate, was the runner-up with 87,764 votes and a 44 per cent vote share. BJP”s Babumohanpally secured the third position with 2,404 votes and a 1per cent vote share.

In the 2014 elections, Babumohanpally of the TRS (now BRS) emerged as the winner with 87,087 votes and a 3,291-vote lead, while C. Damodar Rajanarsimha of the Congress secured the runner-up position with 83,796 votes. The 2023 elections in Andole saw an impressive voter turnout, with 84.76 per cent of the eligible voters exercising their democratic right.

Comparing the 2023 results to the 2018 outcome, it is clear that Rajanarsimha may have found an audience with voters, resulting in the Indian National Congress” incredible victory in Andole.

(This story is part of a Timeline. internship project “Whom They Voted For: Celebrating The National Festival”. This internship project is being organised aimed at helping young minds understand the electoral process of the country.)