The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) which was in power in Telangana from 2014 to 2023 appears to be heading into trouble with the desertion of three of its nine sitting MPs (Lok Sabha) in less than a month as the ruling parties — Congress in the State and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at Centre — are leaving no stone unturned to weaken it.
Although the BRS leadership was considering change of at least half of the sitting MPs for the coming election based on the party’s performance in Parliamentary constituencies represented by the party in the last December Assembly elections and surveys employed later, joining of one of its MP with Congress and two with BJP since February 6 is having some adverse impact on the party’s psyche.
After B. Venkatesh Netha (Peddapalli) joined Congress on February 6, P. Ramulu (Nagarkurnool) and B.B. Patil (Zaheerabad) joined BJP on February 29 and March 1, respectively. “We have information that the BJP is trying to woo at least another three of our MPs by employing all sorts of tactics at its disposal. We are at work to retain them, but it depends on how the leaders look at their interests, particularly their business/commercial ones,” a BRS leader said, when contacted.
Irrespective of such desertions, the party leadership is confident of putting up a good show in the Parliament elections considering the fact that the party has a strong footing from village level despite the Congress and BJP making inroads recently, the BRS leader claimed. It is now clear that the BJP leadership has been making all efforts to wean away strong candidates from BRS such as the sitting MPs from Khammam and Mahabubabad as also a few other leaders who are financially sound.
“We are aware of the fact the Congress and BJP will try to weaken us as much as they can. That’s we have decided not to name our candidates till the two rival parties announce their lists this time,” the BRS leader said adding that despite desertions there are many aspirants for the party tickets.
Sources stated that the party leadership is scouting for not only the leaders with some mass base but also having finances to contest the elections. The chances of fielding MLAs and MLCs having ample tenure are also less with the BRS finding itself on the same footing as the Congress did during the 2018 Assembly and 2019 Parliament elections.
