Modi, Sharad Pawar, and others have become its campaigners
SNCN ACHARYULU
Hyderabad
The recent criticism of the Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and earlier by former Chief Minister of Maharashtra Sharad Pawar and others, happens to be music to the ears of BRS leaders; for, the pink party is getting traction beyond Telangana without spending a rupee on publicity due to badmouthing by leaders.
In the northern and other parts of India, people are still not familiar with BRS. Yet, the BRS is getting free publicity, thanks to comments by national level leaders of political parties. This has made it easy for BRS to go to people without their involvement. In a way, opposition leaders have become campaigners for BRS in the northern states.
After renaming TRS as BRS to position it as a national party, the leadership of the pink party did not take up any programmes for its publicity in other states. The BRS leadership concentrated on Maharashtra and that too in some areas for extension of party activities beyond Telangana state.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing party workers from various states, including Telangana, at Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh, criticized the BRS and its president K Chandrasekhar Rao and KCR’s daughter Kavitha, directly mentioning their names. In fact, in the northern and central states many people do not know much about BRS and KCR. But criticism of BRS and KCR by none other than Modi helped in getting BRS free publicity of sorts. Now, given the Prime Minister’s comments, people think that the BRS is a strong force.
At the same time, NCP and Shiv Sena leaders too have started criticising BRS and KCR. This too is helping BRS in getting free publicity. Presently, the BRS is concentrating on Nanded, Aurangabad and other areas. But, due to criticism by NCP and Shiv Sena leaders, people across Maharashtra now know about BRS and KCR. The Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena leaders are criticising the BRS as B team of BJP. This may also indirectly help BRS in the northern states where the BJP is strong. Although the BJP is criticising the BRS, there is a possibility of some sections of BJP workers taking BRS to be a friendly party of BJP, a source reasoned.
This may help BRS in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, he feels.
Officially speaking, the BRS is maintaining equidistance from the BJP-led NDA and the Congress-led UPA.
So, in the coming days both NDA and UPA parties will amplify criticism of BRS. Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, this free publicity will help BRS politically. While BRS has intensified its activities in other states, the other political parties there have sharpened criticism of the pink party. The BRS leaders are fine with treating such criticism as free publicity.
