Can the Bharatiya Rashtra Samiti (BRS), newest avatar of the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS), help its founder and TS Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao achieve his recently broadened vision that includes an alternative agenda for the nation? This question is doing the rounds in some circles as KCR was the moving spirit behind the TRS, which took birth for, and successfully attained, statehood for Telangana, As the Chief Minister of India’s youngest state, KCR has grown much in stature — from being the leader of a regional movement to one who wants set in motion a national level force. Hence, the BRS has begun by establishing its base in neighbouring states, including undivided Andhra Pradesh, from which the Telangana region was carved out eight years ago.
KCR is not new to playing a key role in national politics. When he was a member of the Union cabinet headed by Dr. Manmohan Singh, as partner of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA), he took the reins of the Union Ministry of Shipping and Ports, after the victory of the UPA headed by the Congress in 2004. He was then in the good books UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi. She had a tough time convincing the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), another UPA partner, which had been aspiring for the portfolio given to KCR. When it appeared that the DMK, which had strength of 18 seats in the Lok Sabha, could be holding Sonia to ransom for not giving it the Shipping and Ports portfolio, KCR played a Good Samaritan by offering to forgo his portfolio to help Sonia keep DMK in UPA. Sonia was touched by this gesture of KCR. It is different matter that he subsequently severed ties with the Congress and came out of the UPA.
In the 2009 polls, he joined hands with opposite political group of Congress particularly Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in undivided AP as part of a grand alliance. But by then Dr. YS Rajasekhara Reddy had become very strong in undivided AP and he retained power in 2009. KCR had given a big shock to the grand alliance led by TDP by attending a rally organized by the National Democratic Alliance in Punjab even before the declaration of election results. He made his presence felt there as a warrior fighting for the cause of a separate state. Â
KCR is now taking a decisive plunge into national politics. It comes ahead of the next Assembly elections in Telangana. Sensing the possible impact of the anti-incumbency factor, given TRS’ rule for two consecutive terms, he is believed to have come out with this idea of transforming TRS into a nationally reckoned BRS with plans of gradual expansion.
He claims that political parties in other states like Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra had evinced interest in joining hands with him. The TRS accounts for 17 LS seats in Telangana. Only if KCR gets a sizeable number of seats in the next General Election, he can hope to see BRS play a major role at the national level, starting with government formation in the event of a fractured verdict with no single party getting the majority required to form the government on its own. Some political circles believe that BJP would not get absolute majority in 2024. So, every political party at the regional level is hopeful of getting an opportunity to play national politics in line with its tally in the Lok Sabha.
It is crucial for KCR to take his new agenda under BRS banner to Andhra Pradesh. KCR has previously exposed the Congress for joining hands with Chandrababu Naidu, who had never allowed members in the AP Legislative Assembly to even utter the word Telangana during his rule. KCR had instilled fear in the minds of T-people that there would definitely be Chandrababu Naidu’s rule again in the new state of Telangana if the Congress was voted to power.
This time KCR is complacent that BRS would get seats in Andhra. That is why the subject of inclusiveness has come to the fore again. It is possible that he would have a hidden electoral adjustment with the ruling YSRCP headed by YS Jaganmohan Reddy. If KCR manages to win even one seat with the help of Jagan, it would be more than helpful for him. Moreover, BRS should be in a position to form the government here next time by tiding over the anti-incumbency factor.
No doubt, KCR looks confident of registering a hat-trick win in the next Assembly elections on the strength of his inclusiveness plank. It remains to be seen whether BRS would serve all his purposes.
