After a series of high-profile desertions, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) faces significant challenges in the upcoming Telangana elections. The party must address internal rifts and regain voter confidence while countering opposition gains. These twin obstacles could impact the BRS’s stronghold in the state, reshaping the political landscape.
The BRS has two immediate challenges before it — winning the local body elections and the GHMC polls. In the wake of the Congress spiriting away a good number of its MLAs from the city, the pink party has to toil to win the GHMC polls.
The BRS is trying to gauge the effect of its MLAs defecting to other parties on its prospects in the elections. The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) elections are being seen as a referendum on BRS working president KT Rama Rao’s ability to steer the party to success.
The BRS has been quite confident that the urban voter would support it but in the wake of the its MLAs from Hyderabad switching loyalty, there are now doubts whether Rama Rao still has the magic touch to turn the tide of public opinion in favour of the pink party. The BRS cadre are worried that party MLA Padi Kaushik Reddy’s statement on Andhras may affect the party’s prospects in the GHMC elections where it is already skating on thin ice.
The BRS leaders and MLAs in GHMC limits are worried because most of the voters are of Andhra origin. After Kaushik Reddy’s outburst against MLA Arekapudi Gandhi who hails from Kamma community that he came to Hyderabad in search of livelihood, the situation seemed to have changed. Kammas constitute a significant chunk of the population in six to eight Assembly segments in the GHMC.
Rama Rao will have to work twice as hard as he did previously to help the party win the GHMC elections. In the past elections, his image as an IT and MAUD minister who had endeavoured for the growth of Hyderabad had helped the party reap rich political dividends in elections. He has a good wavelength with the population of Hyderabad as he was known more as an urban oriented minister. But the GHMC elections next year will test his skills with the Congress seeming to have gained an upper hand now.
As far as the local body elections are concerned, there is more pressure on the party now than ever before. The party has to activate its cadre in the districts who have been demoralised after the drubbing the BRS had received in the last Assembly elections. The party is not sure how many MLAs will remain with it as the elections draw closer.
In the districts, the party knows that achieving a turnaround in its fortunes is easier said than done. The main disadvantage is that it is not in power now. In the recent Lok Sabha elections, the party polled only 16 per cent votes after a large chunk of its vote bank shifted to the BJP. The BRS is now keen to retrieve the lost ground and put up a good show in the panchayat elections.
The local body polls, including those held for panchayats, MPTCs and ZPTCs, are very important for any party. They help the party building cadre network. It is for the first time that after the creation of Telangana state, the BRS is approaching the people as an opposition party. It remains to be seen how people would receive the party in its different role now.
The BRS cadre are worried that party MLA Padi Kaushik Reddy’s statement on “Andhras” may affect the party’s prospects in the GHMC elections where it is already skating on thin ice. They are worried because most of the voters are of Andhra origin. #hydkhabar
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