Can Congress and BJP finish off BRS in Telangana?

By G Krishna Mohan Rao*

Hyderabad: Can the ruling Congress Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) finish off the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) in Telangana?

The BRS is fighting a survival battle in the state. The ruling Congress Party still sees it as its main enemy in the state and Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy is leaving no stone unturned to finish the regional outfit which is primarily a family-based party.

After the Congress Party came to power in the state, many commissions of enquiries were set up to look into the misdeeds and alleged corruption of the BRS regime under BRS supremo and former chief minister Kalvakuntla Chandrashekar Rao, from 2014 to 2023 – since the formation of the new state which was carved out of Andhra Pradesh. The Reddy government also came out with a HYDRA demolition project, which primarily looks into the illegal constructions in and around Hyderabad. Many top businessmen and politicians are suspected to be behind these illegal real estate projects. It is said that the BRS regime during its 10-year rule, gave a lot of permissions as part of a quid pro quo deal with the real estate mafia. Behind the HYDRA project, the Chief Minister also reportedly has a huge political agenda to take on rivals, particularly the BRS.

Every day, the ruling Congress Party and the BRS indulge in allegations and counter allegations and wash their dirty linen in public. Commissions of enquiries are in progress connected to alleged corruption in the irrigation and power sector by the BRS during its 10-year rule.

To finish off the BRS, the ruling Congress Party even managed one Rajya Sabha of the BRS to itself. Further, nine MLAs of the BRS switched sides to the Congress Party. It was an inside job by the Congress to weaken the BRS.

On the other hand, the BJP has emerged as a big player in Telangana politics after securing eight of the 17 seats from the state in the Lok Sabha elections earlier this year. Its Members of Parliament are also high-profile and articulate persons. The Prime Minister Narendra Modi factor was at play in the Lok Sabha elections and the BJP got huge publicity and fanfare during the polls. Earlier, in the state Assembly elections also, the BJP had got 8 seats to emerge as a force.

Now it is an intense triangular fight among the three parties. Like the Congress Party, even the BJP wants to finish and bury the BRS, so that it can emerge as a major force in the state replacing the BRS.

Yet, the BRS’ performance was not all that bad in the last December Assembly polls where it secured 37 seats in the Assembly of 119 members. It polled 37 per cent of votes in the last assembly elections, while the Congress Party got 39 per cent of votes but managed to get 64 seats in the state, which was five more than the required majority.

But the BRS suffered a huge defeat in the Lok Sabha elections of 2024, and it failed to get a single seat and in Nine Lok Sabha constituencies, it lost deposit. There were allegations that the BRS helped the BJP indirectly to contain the Congress Party in the polls.

Because of BJP’s rule in Delhi, the BRS is slightly sympathetic to the saffron party. Last month BRS was relieved politically when its leader K Kavitha, daughter of BRS supremo and former chief minister Kalvakuntla Chandrashekar Rao,  was released on bail after nearly six months. Kavitha is accused in the Delhi liquor scam.

There is no doubt, that once a strong regional force, the BRS is considerably weakened. But its supremo K Chandrasekhar Rao continues to buy time and remains silent. He is not indulging in public discourse. Maybe the BRS wants Chief Minister Reddy to complete one year in office and then open out. There is a lot of discontent among the farming community in the state. Many grouse that the Raithu Bandhu scheme of financial aid to farmers was stopped and also crop loan was not waived to all farmers in the state.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy is moving ahead to consolidate his position in the state, having come to power in December 2023. Nearly nine months later, a new Telangana PCC (Pradesh Congress Committee) chief has been appointed in the state. Things got delayed, because there were many aspirants for the top post and the Congress high command delayed it. The new PCC president is Mahesh Goud from the Nizamabad district and is said to be a consensus choice and also close to Chief Minister Reddy. He rose from the party ranks having spent several years in the Congress Party’s student wing, the National Students Union of India (NSUI), and Youth Congress, before being elevated to PCC chief. He would be taking charge as PCC chief on September 15, 2024.

Another major unfinished political agenda of the state Congress Party is the much-awaited cabinet expansion, expected to take place soon. Chief Minister Reddy took oath on December 9, 2023, with a dozen ministers. Ever since, the cabinet has not been expanded. Many posts of Corporations, Boards and Tribunal heads are yet to be filled.

The Reddy government is focusing on the welfare agenda based on its six basic promises during the election period. Free bus rides to women across the state and free power up to 200 units for domestic households are also effectively being implemented.

Still, the primary agenda of the ruling Congress Party as well as the BJP, is to decimate the BRS in the state.

*Senior journalist