Adivasis Inclined More Towards Congress   

Adivasis have remained loyal to the Congress according to voting patterns. Out of 19 MLAs who won on a Congress ticket 4 are Adivasis from the ST reserved constituencies.  Adivasi candidates won the seats withstanding the TRS wave in this elections.

One of the reasons it is being said, is a statement KCR made in the Assembly that ‘Gutti Koyalu’ were not to be considered as Tribals as they had migrated to Khammam and Warangal districts from the neighbouring state of Chattisgarh.

Turning the situation in their favor top leaders of the TPCC during their election campaign said that it was Congress, which had included the Lambadas in the STs list during Indira Gandhi’s rule in 1976. All the top Congress leaders were wary of Lambadas voting for them in their respective constituencies but it turned out to be quite the opposite and Adivasis supported the Congress according to their voting patterns.

The four Adivasi candidates who contested on a Congress ticket—Seethakka from Mulugu, Podem Veeraiah from Badrachalam, Atram Sakku from Asifabad and Rega Kantha Rao from Pinapaka won the elections standing up to the KCR and TRS wave. Another Adivasi candidate M. Nageshwar Rao also won the election on a TDP ticket from Ashwaraopet.

In another instance, Soyam Bapurao a proponent of Adivasi Hakkula Porata Samiti (Thudumdebba) lost the election with 6,639 votes to Bapu Rao Rathod from the TRS.  Seethakka won the election with 22,671 votes majority against former minister Ajmeera Chandulal from Mulugu.

Indirectly, another factor, which helped Congress, is the ongoing Adivasi agitation demanding the removal of the Lambadas from STs list. This also helped the consolidation of the Adivasi vote bank.

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