A bothering aspect for BRS

-If AAP wins, then people will see it as alternative
-If BJP achieves hatrick, there will be no stopping for it in TS
NAVEENA GHANATE

Even as the Bharatiya Janata Party, Aam Admi Party and the Congress are locked in a fierce battle in Gujarat, the outcome of the election will have a significant impact on the hyped national plunge of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar via his Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS).

As for the elections to the 182-member Gujarat Assembly, due on December 1 and 5, BRS is evidently not going to make a huge difference, apart from making some social media posts on the polls. The winner in 2022 will head to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections with a huge advantage. If BJP wins, then the hat-trick for Narendra Modi would be a game changer for the saffron party. If AAP manages to win, it will emerge as an alternative to BJP. TS Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has been pitching about BRS being an alternative and has been working on an alternative agenda.

Sources said, “If AAP manages to gain some seats, even if they do not win all, then people will see it as an alternative. It is a challenge for BRS but our Chief Minister’s focus is not pan-India immediately. In 2024, we are hoping to clinch 50 seats and mostly in Maharashtra and Karnataka. If BJP wins, then there is no stopping of the saffron attack in Telangana. Gujarat has been BJP’s stronghold for the last 27 years even though it used to be Congress bastion”.

Sources said that relations with AAP were cordial, but the party supremo will decide how to go about it with BRS. “However, BRS is focused on making voices of people heard, not power. We want to put forth people’s agenda”. Meanwhile both Telangana CM and Delhi Chief Minister claimed that Congress was collapsing completely and even questioned the absence of Rahul Gandhi as inaction.

It was only on 8November that TRS gave public notice in a few newspapers on its name change to BRS and invited objections from the public, if any. The comments will be closed on 9 December, if there are no objections; but, if there are objections, it may take longer. The Election Commission of India is expected to review any objections as a process before approving the party’s name change. If we go by the timeline of events, the BRS never wanted to play any active role in the Gujarat Elections.

TRS Ministers are largely confined to their constituencies or otherwise involved in responding to raids by central investigative agencies. The CM himself asked all sitting MLAs to be in their constituencies for the next 10 months. KCR will take up districts visits soon. Leaders were asked to engage in constituency and even conduct Aatmeeya Sammelanams.