‘Congress is talking to around 10 BRS MLAs in the state.’
The state leadership of the Congress in Telangana is trying to break the main opposition party, K. Chandrashekhar Rao’s Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS). Party insiders claim that the incumbent Chief Minister, Revanth Reddy is trying to do what the ex CM K. Chandrashekhar Rao had done after winning the 2018 Assembly elections—break the MLAs from the rival party.
A source privy to the developments suggest that the Congress is already in talks with some BRS legislators, some of whom have shown inclination to switch parties. However, a Congress party insider said, “Congress is not trying, but Revanth Reddy is trying. He is making this personal effort to bring some legislators into Congress. Some 10 MLAs are in talks, although there are no talks with any Member Parliament from the BRS.”
Recently, Telangana Roads and Buildings Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy said 30 BRS MLAs may join the Congress after the Lok Sabha elections. As Revanth Reddy, in an internal meeting of the Congress, had indicated that the poaching of MLAs may affect the newly elected Congress’ stature, so the same may not happen soon. A Congress leader said, “General elections are coming soon, so the operation may take place after the Lok Sabha elections.”
State secretary BRS, P. Bhoopathi Reddy old The Sunday Guardian, “It won’t be possible for Congress to break the BRS legislators. If there are one or two MLA’s wanting to be part of ruling party. It could be possible. But how does it matter. Moreover, our party legislators will stay with the BRS.”
However, the Congress high command has instructed its state leadership in Telangana not to proceed with courting the BRS legislators as that could affect the Opposition space and allow the BJP to grow and replace the main Opposition (BRS) in the state. A Congress leader said, “If that happens, BJP will start growing in the second state of South India after Karnataka and that will prove to be detrimental for Congress. Up until now, BJP is a distant third in Telangana.” A senior Congressman having an official position in the party said, “Our state leadership is not wise. Breaking the regional party would give more space to the saffron camp and eventually hurt the Congress in the long run. It should be the BJP we should be trying to break. But that won’t work. It would be difficult for us to break BJP MLAs. Moreover, we haven’t contacted any BJP leader. Even if we were to contact them, they won’t come just like that.”
In June 2019, then Chief Minister Rao was accused of poaching 12 out of 18 Congress MLAs when they merged the Congress Legislature Party with BRS (then TRS). Congress’ state leaders say that Revanth Reddy wants to replicate the political assault on KCR by breaking his party the same way he had done to Congress.