“Several leaders from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) are eager to join the Congress that is strengthening every day leaving the BJP way behind and BRS worried, the AICC incharge for Telangana,” Manikrao Thakare said.
Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Thakare said the BJP is nowhere in the picture in Telangana politics and after the Karnataka results its worries have increased with the popularity sliding rapidly in Telangana. “On the other hand, the BRS is worried over the rising anti-incumbency against it, and particularly the farmers and youngsters are angry over the government’s treatment of them,” he said.
However, the Congress will not open the gates for everyone and the interests of the long-standing Congress leaders and committed cadre would be kept in mind while admitting those from the BJP and the BRS. “The District Congress Committees and senior leaders in the constituencies will have their say and their opinions will be considered,” he said.
The BRS graph is down and Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao too has realised that the Congress was gaining rapidly, he claimed adding that the recent change of track indicates Mr. KCR’s fear. “He is proving us to be right on what we have been saying that both the BRS and the BJP are together, and his recent statements are a clear indication of that,” he said.
Mr. Thakare argued that Mr. KCR’s silence over the BJP was noticeable and his sharp attack on the Congress increased realising that BJP’s fortunes cannot be upped despite his best efforts to project it as the principal Opposition in Telangana. Mr. KCR has turned his ire against Congress trying to use age-old tactics of making sweeping statements for catchy headlines in the media. But little he will gain as people have already decided to throw the BRS out.
On the internal bickering in the Congress, the former Maharashtra Minister said there were few and under control and not as perceived and projected by the media. All the senior leaders are working together and in their own space as well. On the early announcement of tickets, he said the party high command will take a decision at the right time but the issue has some significance with the demand coming from the local leadership.
