After the decisive loss in the state of Telangana, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) led by firebrand leader K. Chandradhekhar Rao (KCR) is contemplating to join National Democratic Alliance (NDA) before the coming Lok Sabha elections likely to be held in April-May.
According to party insiders, majority of top leaders in the party have shown inclination towards going with BJP. However, KCR in response to that is seen to have advanced the argument of BRS being a secular party where allying with the saffron camp could harm the party prospects. A party insider said, “KCR is of the view that collaborating with BJP could stunt the party’s secular growth which could harm the party’s secular vote bank in the next assembly elections.”
Sources privy to the developments suggest that if BJP high command would be willing to take along itself BRS for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, there could be resistance from the state cadre as they do not want to collaborate with principal opposition party. A party leader said, “BJP’s ground forces have been in preparation to sabotage any kind of upward momentum for the BRS. The saffron camp want to replicate the Karnataka model and grow in the state at the cost of regional party. BJP wants the state to have bipolar contest in the future with Congress and eat into BRS vote share.”
Political observers suggest that Muslims had, in droves, voted for Congress in recently held assembly elections and if BRS accepts propensity of its Muslim vote bank drifting away from the party (and towards Congress), that could lead them (BRS) to turn towards BJP.
However a political analyst in the state said, “There is still a small chunk of Muslim voters who vote for the BRS and that remaining Muslim vote share could permanently sway from the BRS if they collaborate with BJP. So there is a dilemma within the party, whether to look past Muslim votes or to stay strong and fight back Congress. However, the cadre seems to have been demotivated by recent assembly loss.”
When asked if the majority of BRS leaders really want to join NDA, State secretary BRS, P. Bhoopathi said to The Sunday Guardian, “If BJP wants alliance too, then we can go for an alliance. We BRS has done a lot of work for the people of Telangana. That work had nobody done before us for the last 70 years. If we go alone we will win, and if we collaborate with BJP then also we both will win. Congress party came by chance into power. The grand old party will neither come at centre nor will it win seats in the state. Moreover, if there is an alliance with the BJP we will sweep the elections. We will win all the 17 seats.”
By and large, the surveys done on the ground have shown the saffron camp’s vote percentage increasing from the 2019 general elections to around 23, whereas BRS could go down upto 30 percent.