Ever since the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) changed its name to Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) in an effort to shed its provincial character and chase national ambitions, its leadership has made no efforts to make a mark outside Telangana except in Maharashtra. It has also made some effort in Andhra Pradesh, a State against which the BRS leadership made unsavoury remarks during the movement to grant Telangana statehood.
With its slogan ‘Ab Ki Baar, Kisan Sarkar (this is the time for farmers’ rule)‘, the BRS leadership has decided to appeal primarily to the farming community in Maharashtra. It has held rallies in Nanded, Kandhar-Loha and Aurangabad to cement its image as a pro-farmer, pro-poor, and pro-Dalit political outfit. These rallies received an encouraging response, even if the crowds were mobilised, as is the norm for political rallies these days.
BRS sources said that the party is determined to first enter Maharashtra and garner support from the farming community, followed by women, Dalits and minorities, by explaining the welfare and development programmes that have been initiated for these sections in Telangana. The party has deployed publicity vehicles fitted with large LED screens in these areas, which play films on the benefits being enjoyed by these sections of society in Telangana.
