Hyderabad: Dharmapuri Arvind, who caused the biggest upset in Lok Sabha election in Telangana by defeating TRS heavyweight K Kavitha, on Thursday (May 30) said the BJP is confident of coming to power in the state in the next Assembly election.

A first-time contestant in electoral politics and a former Ranji Trophy cricketer defeated sitting MP Kavitha, daughter of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) president and Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR), by 71,057 votes, sending shock waves in her party.

Basking in glory after his 'giant-killing' feat, Aravind said that he is confident of his party wresting Telangana from the ruling TRS after the next Assembly poll, which is scheduled to be held in 2023.

Speaking to a media house, Arvind said, "We will increase our tally (Lok Sabha seats) by 2024 for sure. In Telangana, we will be a formidable strength, and by 2023, I am certain about forming the government in Telangana."

BJP was down after the Assembly election last year when it could win only one seat in the 119-member House, with the TRS returning to power with a rich haul of 88 seats.

The Lok Sabha election saw the party winning four seats of the total 17 in the state, up from just one in the 2014 polls, giving new energy to Amit Shah's outfit.

Arvind is the son of TRS Rajya Sabha member D Srinivas, who was a Congressman for a long time and had served as president of erstwhile Andhra Pradesh Congress unit before joining the ruling party.

Nizamabad had hit the headlines after 185 candidates, including 177 farmers demanding a remunerative price for turmeric and red sorghum and setting up of a Turmeric Board, jumped into the poll fray.

Arvind had represented Hyderabad in Ranji Trophy, and he also played Under- 21, 23 and 25 segments. He also represented south zone Under-19 team.

Unfortunately, his career in sports was cut short on account of injury, but his love for the game continues, his Facebook profile says.