BRS boat capsizes in turbulent waters

Hyderabad: The year 2023 which started with the expansion plans in Andhra Pradesh for the Bharat Rasthra Samithi (BRS) ended in a severe setback to it, with the pink party losing power in Telangana. The defeat was unprecedented for a party which spearheaded the statehood agitation and won elections back to back post the formation of new State.

Anti-incumbency and voter fatigue towards the pink party was perceptible in the State, as there was disillusionment all around, especially in rural areas. Selective rollout of Dalit Bandhu, growing joblessness, failure to conduct TSPSC exams in a foolproof manner, involvement of party functionaries in selection of beneficiaries, and the domineering attitude of the ruling class etc., put paid to its ambitions of scoring a hat-trick in the state elections. The gamble that the BRS chief K Chandrashekar Rao took to continue some of the MLAs in spite of facing anti-incumbency in their respective constituencies did not pay off, and the party ended up in the opposition after two successive terms in power.

The year 2023 was not a memorable year for the BRS party as it suffered ignominy in the hands of the Congress party. The year started with the ambitious venture of BRS chief deciding to expand the party in Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra as part of the pan-India plans. Several leaders from Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra joined the party. The BRS chief KCR, who was so impressed with the response to his party in the truncated Andhra Pradesh, promised to take over the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) if the Modi government tried to sell it off.

The party organised a massive public meeting in Khammam to mark the BRS party’s foray into national politics in January where several political leaders from non-Congress and non-BJP parties attended the meeting. Later, in the month of February, the BRS held a series of public meetings in Maharashtra in towns such as Nanded, Sambhajinagar, Nagpur, Sholapur and other towns. The BRS leaders grew vocal against Governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan alleging that she was holding up the bills sent by the Assembly.

As part of maintaining equi-distance from the Congress as well as the BJP, the BRS party even boycotted the presidential address in Parliament for the second consecutive time. The party MPs were seen protesting against the BJP government, demanding a probe into the Hindenburg report on Adani Group. During this time party leader KCR’s daughter K Kavitha was embroiled in the Delhi liquor scam. Her name was even included in a charge sheet on irregularities in the Delhi government’s liquor policy. Though it snubbed the national parties, the BRS maintained its alliance with the AIMIM and supported a candidate of the Majlis in the council elections under the local bodies category.

The party faced a severe onslaught from the opposition parties on the TSPSC paper leak issue. BRS working president KT Rama Rao sent legal notices to State Congress president A Revanth Reddy and BJP state chief Bandi Sanjay Kumar. The BRS leaders took to streets protesting against the privatisation of coal blocks in Singareni. They used unique ways to protest during the visit of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the state.

The party organised its plenary with limited members during April. It suspended leaders like Jupally Krishna Rao and Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy for indiscipline and anti-party activities.

The BRS faced embarrassment in the Karnataka elections where the JDS suffered a huge shock, as it had supported JDS, which promised Telangana-type of schemes but could not garner enough numbers. The BRS chief took up the inauguration of the party offices in the districts along with the integrated district collectorate complexes in the state.

The party had the headstart in campaigning for the State Assembly elections. Before the Congress and the BJP could decide on their candidates, the BRS announced the candidates well before the schedule. The BRS chief changed candidates in a few states only though there was opposition to the incumbent MLAs in so many other seats. Particularly, in rural areas, the party seemed to be faced with severe opposition. But, the BRS leader took a gamble, retaining most of the MLAs, but it eventually did not pay off and the party lost power. Not just that, the party supremo KCR himself lost in one of the two constituencies he contested. The party managed to win just 39 seats in the Assembly elections. The year ended on a bad note with the BRS chief meeting with an accident at his farmhouse. Post-surgery, it is learnt that the BRS chief is likely to be out of action and public life for next six months. Thus, the mantle of winning back public confidence and seizing majority in Lok Sabha elections falls on KTR and Harish Rao. A daunting task, indeed, for them.