The churning within the BRS

Instead of stepping up its tirade against the ruling Congress government for what it terms its “failures”, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) in Telangana is grappling with internal conflicts.

The Congress is facing a financial crunch which is affecting its ability to implement various welfare schemes, particularly the ones it promised before the Assembly elections. Yet it is the BRS that has been making headlines for all the wrong reasons in a section of the media, which the party terms “anti-BRS” and “pro-Congress”. Reports state that differences have cropped up within the family of BRS president K. Chandrasekhar Rao — namely, between his son and working president of the party, K.T. Rama Rao; his nephew, Harish Rao; and his daughter, K. Kavitha.

Since Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao has stopped taking an active role in party affairs, speculation is rife in political circles that the BRS is planning to hand over the reins of the party to Mr. Rama Rao. This has reportedly upset Mr. Harish Rao, a former minister who has been a steadfast supporter of the party and its president for the last 24 years.

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Mr. Harish Rao rubbished these rumours at a press conference. He categorically stated that he had no differences with Mr. Rama Rao or any other leader in the BRS for that matter, and that he would always remain a soldier of Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao. “The decision of the party chief would be of paramount importance to me. I will not hesitate to work with KTR (K.T. Rama Rao) even if he is given the reins of the party,” he said. Mr. Harish Rao also sought to label the whole controversy a “conspiracy” of the Congress aimed at engineering fissures within the BRS.

Mr. Rama Rao, Mr. Harish Rao, and B. Vinod Kumar, a senior leader considered close to the party leadership, also met at Mr. Harish Rao’s house for over four hours to discuss the party affairs threadbare. Sources say the meeting was held on Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao’s directions. “There have been reports of bickering and efforts to break the party ever since the party was formed in 2001…,” Mr. Vinod Kumar said. “Such efforts and conspiracies gain momentum when the party is out of power. The party leadership is united and working hard to take the failures of the Congress government to the people. We believe that it is better to sweat during peace than to bleed during war.”

Sources admit that there could be minor differences of opinion on the protest programmes being planned against the government. However, they add, rival parties examine such differences with a magnifying glass. They also say that speculation about Mr. Harish Rao breaking away from the party originated long ago, in 2006, when the BRS, which was then known as the Telangana Rashtra Samithi, pulled out of the Congress-led coalition government. It again gained momentum after the 2018 Assembly elections when Mr. Harish Rao was not included in Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao’s Cabinet. It once again resurfaced after the BRS lost power in December 2023, they say.

Meanwhile, Ms. Kavitha raised eyebrows when she stated recently that certain leaders within the party were conspiring against her rise. She said that they may not be “satisfied with my spending six months in jail in the case foisted against me in the Delhi liquor policy issue”. Mr. Kavitha, who heads Telangana Jagruthi, a cultural wing of the BRS, was arrested by the CBI in the Delhi liquor policy case on March 15, 2024, and released on bail on August 27. Unlike Mr. Harish Rao, who sought to clear the air, Ms. Kavitha has clearly embarked on her own path. She has been championing the cause of Backward Classes and women. Ever since the party was ousted from power, she has visited about 50 Assembly constituencies to boost the morale of the cadre. She also recently said that while a “geographical Telangana” State had been created, Samajika Telangana (social justice) has not yet been delivered to the people.

These rumours and public statements have created confusion in the BRS and could affect its ability to regain the support of voters. It is important for the party leadership to dispel them and put up a visible united front against the Congress government. Such efforts will make a huge difference to the morale of the party cadre, especially at a time when the Congress is increasingly dependent on flaying the Opposition instead of delivering on the promises it made to the people of Telangana.