Although the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) scooped a win in the Munugode by-election after a fierce neck-and-neck battle with the BJP, the real story from the bypoll was that of the Congress.
In a state that was once a major source of its electoral strength, powering its two consecutive terms at the centre in 2004 and 2009, the outcome of the elections showcase the party's downward spiral.