BRS Faces Significant Setback, Urged to Reevaluate Strategy
Hyderabad: The K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR)-led Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has experienced a significant defeat, necessitating a strategic reassessment to ensure its future in Telangana, particularly against the rising Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The BRS failed to secure any of the 17 Parliamentary seats in the recent elections and saw its vote share plummet to 16.68%.
Following defeats in both the previous Assembly and current Lok Sabha elections, BRS leaders have expressed a commitment to learning from these setbacks and focusing on strengthening the party’s organizational structure. With potential defections of its MLAs to the BJP or Congress in Telangana, the challenge for KCR is to rebuild the party, which has traditionally relied on the sentiment of native Telangana statehood.
“We will now focus on our role as the main opposition. Our strategy will be to highlight and build on the mistakes of the Congress, just as they did to overcome us. It is expected that some of our MLAs may defect,” said an unnamed BRS leader.
Acknowledging the existential threat posed by the BJP’s rise since the last Assembly elections, another BRS functionary noted the party’s precarious position. In the 2023 state elections, the Congress secured 64 out of 119 seats, while the BRS won 39. The BJP, which had only one seat in the 2018 polls, increased its tally to eight, capturing 14% of the vote share.
Despite not winning many seats, the BJP gained deposits in over 40 Assembly constituencies in Telangana, signaling its growing influence. The BJP’s vote share in the Lok Sabha polls surged to 35%, a significant increase from the previous year’s 14%.
Responding to allegations by AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi that BRS candidates aided BJP victories, another BRS functionary stated, “Losses are part of the process. We have faced setbacks before but also had successes like the Nagarjunasagar by-election. Claims that our candidates supported BJP are false. We must focus on party affairs and address the needs of all our constituents, including Muslim leaders.”
The BRS leader also emphasized the need for the party to counter the narratives of national parties. “Regional parties have succeeded in other states. We are committed to our presence here. Even if KCR and KTR face legal challenges, we are prepared to continue our efforts,” he stated.
