Did BRS miss chance to expose turncoat MLAs in RS polls?
Hyderabad: Did the BRS miss a trick to expose ten turncoat MLAs by not fielding a candidate in the Rajya Sabha elections? Party leaders believe that the organisation certainly missed a prime opportunity to use a whip to disqualify MLAs for defying official party orders.
After losing the Assembly elections and drawing a blank in the Lok Sabha, the party has taken several unusual decisions to abstain from contesting various polls, which has left the cadre increasingly worried. The party did not contest successive Council elections and has now stayed away from the Rajya Sabha. Supporters are said to be upset that, despite being in power for ten years, the party is not taking important elections seriously. When asked about contesting the polls, BRSLP deputy leader T Harish Rao suggested there should be suspense regarding a candidate, but ultimately, no nomination was filed by the party by Thursday’s deadline.
Party leaders argue that there were clear chances to corner the ten defecting MLAs and expose the Congress. Going by strengths in the Assembly, the Congress has 66 MLAs supported by one CPI MLA and seven AIMIM MLAs. Had the BRS fielded a candidate, the minimum number of votes required would have been 41, meaning the party would have fallen short by eight. A senior leader explained that if elections were held, the Congress would have been forced into horse trading, which would have exposed the ruling party. It would also have exposed the ten MLAs who joined the Congress, as they would have been required to follow a BRS whip; failure to do so would have resulted in immediate disqualification.
However, party insiders suggest a fear factor influenced the decision-makers. Following the exit of ten MLAs and losses in two constituencies, the party’s strength has reduced to 27. There was a fear that this number might decrease further due to poaching by the ruling party. Another concern was that aligning with the BJP would send a wrong signal, as the party has historically maintained an equal distance from both national parties. The leadership is now being urged to contest every future election to rebuild morale and demonstrate political resilience.
