SNCN ACHARYULU
In the Mahabharata, for the death of Karna there are so many reasons. In the same way there are several reasons for the defeat of the BRS in the Assembly elections. Apart from other reasons for the defeat of BRS, mainly “svayamkritaparadham” (self-inflicted blunder) only. In other words the BRS government with its acts since the last nine years has created an atmosphere where the people wanted the change. The domination of KCR family members has created negativity in the public.
The Telangana Rashtra Samithi was formed on the sentiment of Telangana. But renaming the Telangana Rashtra Samithi as Bharath Rashtra Samithi is the mistake committed by the party leadership. By removing the word Telangana from the party name hurt the sentiments of Telangana people. It has given the scope for the opposition parties that K Chandrasekhar Rao has no commitment to Telangana sentiment.
Particularly, as a Chief Minister the style of the functioning of Chandrasekhar Rao attracted the criticism from the public. While past Chief Ministers regularly used to meet the people and party MLAs and political leaders regularly, KCR distanced himself to the public and party MLAs also.
KCR completely stopped coming to the Secretariat and functioned from Pragathi Bhavan or from his farm house. This has given scope to the political parties to call him a “farm house Chief Minister.” After 10 years in power, there was scope for anti-incumbency factor in the elections. At the same time, several MLAs faced severe negativity from the public.
After knowing this, KCR was not able to change the sitting MLAs with a scare that they may jump into opposition camps. It appears that KCR was with an over-confidence that his image in the public will help for the victory of his party candidates though they are facing opposition from the people. KCR had a lot hopes on the welfare schemes implemented by his government since the last 10 years. But the same welfare schemes have played a key role in the defeat of the BRS.
The State government failed in the proper implementation of welfare schemes. Under the welfare schemes like Rythu Bandhu and Dalit Bandhu, only some people benefited and a majority was kept away. This has created negativity against the government. The inconsistency on his own opinions on various issues expressed by KCR created confusion in the party cadre and in the public also. Once he targeted the BJP and once he targeted the Congress politically.
KCR’s policy was to maintain equidistance to the BJP and the Congress. But in the implementation, he failed to follow this. Before Assembly elections he targetted the BJP and when Assembly elections came suddenly, KCR shifted his focus on the Congress. Politically his strategy may be correct because in the Assembly elections the main rival of the BRS was the Congress.
When KCR slowed down his attack on the BJP he had given an impression that the BRS and the BJP have colluded against the Congress. After renaming the TRS as BRS, KCR declared that his party is a national party. KCR also said that the BRS will emerge as a national party alternative to the BJP and the Congress. But in the election campaign, KCR commented that the national parties have become outdated in the national politics and the era of regional parties will start at national politics. With this the party cadre was confused whether the BRS is a regional party or national party. If KCR felt that the BRS is a regional party, why did he change the name of TRS to BRS.
The arrest of former Chief Minister and TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu has become a master stroke for the defeat of the BRS. Though the TDP is not active in Telangana politics it has a lot of sympathisers. The pro-TDP activists of both Telugu states strongly believed the BJP hand behind the arrest of their leader by the AP State government headed by Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. They also believed that Jagan and KCR have cordial relations. In the 2019 Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections, as a Telangana CM, KCR said that he will give a ‘return gift’ to Chandrababu who tried to defeat the BRS in the 2018 Assembly elections.
When YSR Congress came to power in AP in 2019 Assembly elections, KCR said that he has given the return gift to Chandrababu successfully by defeating the TDP. Keeping this in mind, Chandrababu thought of taking revenge on KCR and wanted to return his return gift in the 2023 Telangana Assembly elections. For this, Chandrababu had taken first step not to contest in the Telangana Assembly elections. It was an open secret that the AP origin people settled in Telangana and pro-TDP activists worked for the success of the Congress. In this way, Chandrababu succeeded in returning the return gift to KCR by defeating the BRS.
