Former Telangana Chief Minister and BRS chief Okay. Chandrashekar Rao. File.
| Photograph Credit score: PTI
The once-promising trajectory of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) chief Okay. Chandrashekhar Rao or KCR’s nationwide political ambitions confronted a setback following the Telangana Meeting election defeat in December final 12 months.
Mr. Rao, who vigorously pursued nationwide politics after rebranding the occasion from Telangana Rashtra Samithi to BRS throughout his chief ministerial tenure, tried to advertise the slogan of ‘Ab Ki Baar, Kisan Sarkar’ in a number of conferences throughout Maharashtra, aiming to ascertain the occasion as a potent nationwide political power.
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Nonetheless, the occasion’s defeat in its house State left his plans in disarray and led to a strategic silence from Mr. Rao. This has left leaders in Maharashtra in a state of confusion and indecision. With the Lok Sabha election looming, leaders are grappling with the dilemma of whether or not to align with the BRS, type a brand new occasion, or merge with present political entities within the western State.
“He lost elections in Telangana, which we didn’t expect, and he also had an injury. Now, though he is appearing in public, he is unresponsive to our repeated calls and messages,” mentioned the occasion’s Maharashtra Kisan Morcha chief Manik Kadam.
Just lately, the leaders convened in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (beforehand Aurangabad) to deliberate on their subsequent steps. A communiqué was despatched to the BRS president, urging clear directions on the occasion’s Maharashtra intentions, with a one-week deadline for a response. “The political future of our party leaders, including a few ex-MLAs and an ex-MP, is at stake. He can’t go incommunicado and leave us hanging in the air,” Mr. Kadam mentioned.
Early splash
The occasion has held half-a-dozen spectacular public conferences – the primary rally in Nanded on February 5, one other at Kandhar-Loha in Nanded, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Solapur, Pandharpur and Sangli. It got down to attraction to the farming neighborhood with its slogan however couldn’t make a lot of an impression as could possibly be seen from the occasion’s efficiency within the elections to the posts of administrators of the Agricultural Produce Market Committee in Nanded district.
Mr. Rao not “finding” a pacesetter to go the State unit was a sign that he was not overly , however individuals had been impressed by his fame and welfare schemes applied within the neighbouring State, mentioned one other chief from the Marathwada area who’s more likely to shift allegiance to the BJP now.
“There is certainly a political void in Maharashtra, and Mr. Rao needs to respond. When he chose to start the Maharashtra unit, he arranged for helicopters and vehicles to bring us to Hyderabad for meetings. We didn’t initiate contact; he did. We are willing to support whatever decision he makes, but a decision must be made,” Mr. Kadam acknowledged.
The occasion leaders mentioned that Mr. Rao, in one of many conferences, assured them that he would contest from the Nanded Lok Sabha seat, a call that would have helped within the enlargement of the occasion.
Present of power
The State unit is planning to organise a present of power in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in a number of days and take a call.
Even on his house turf, Mr. Rao is going through a backlash with a number of leaders planning to modify allegiance to the ruling Congress or the BJP.
Two sitting MPs from the occasion have already joined the BJP, whereas one other shifted to the Congress just lately.
In the meantime, in Andhra Pradesh, the occasion has primarily ceased its operations. Thota Chandrasekhar, a retired IAS officer who heads the BRS unit there, is contemplating becoming a member of Pawan Kalyan-led Jana Sena Social gathering.
