After Karnataka, a wary BRS eyes Congress as a renewed threat in Telangana

KCR may not drop sitting MLAs now, tells them to renew focus on groundwork and use Telangana Foundation Day festivities to publicise party's achievements

Written by Sreenivas Janyala

Hyderabad | Updated: May 19, 2023 12:37 PM IST

4 min read

BRS leaders said that on Wednesday evening, the CM hinted that with state polls approaching, a confident Congress cannot be taken lightly. (Image source: BRS)

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Already wary of the rise of the BJP in Telangana, the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) is now preparing to face a resurgent Congress party in the state, especially after its Assembly poll victory in neighbouring Karnataka. Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, who addressed party MPs, MLAs, and MLCs at the party headquarters in Telangana Bhavan on Wednesday evening, ended up underlying this new threat when he asked his colleagues not to be overconfident or complacent, and to rededicate themselves to working hard in their respective constituencies, even as he downplayed the Congress win in Karnataka. Sources said KCR also criticised the Congress at the meeting, stating that the party had ruined the country during its years at the helm.

KCR’s reaction should be seen in the light of the celebrations by the state Congress on May 13, hailing the party’s victory in the Karnataka Assembly election, in which the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee’s (TPCC) described the result as a turning point for the party and vowed a repeat in Telangana. TPCC chief A Revanth Reddy said people of Karnataka had rejected the BJP’s politics of hate and voted for the development promised by the Congress. “Karnataka leads the way of a Congress revival across India. Next is Telangana,” Reddy had said.

BRS leaders said that on Wednesday evening, the CM hinted that with state polls approaching, a confident Congress cannot be taken lightly. The BRS president also appears to be rethinking an existing plan to replace some sitting MLAs for non-performance, after a similar move by the BJP in Karnataka appears to have backfired. On Wednesday, he assured all sitting MLAs that they would be renominated, but with the warning that he would be keeping a close eye on the work they do. The CM also held meetings with senior party MPs and MLAs to discuss the impact of the Congress win in Telangana, and the tweaks in their poll strategy that would be required as a result.

Sources said KCR opined that due to the growth and development provided by the BRS in the state since 2014, people won’t easily believe the Congress’s poll promises, and stay away from it. He also expressed confidence in a BRS hattrick and said his party will win 95-105 seats in the Assembly elections, due later this year.

Also read | An office for ‘National’ KCR: BRS gets a Delhi address, down ‘welfare’ road

“All our surveys indicate we’ll win a third time with a good majority, but all of you should work hard and heed my directions by spending more time among the people in your constituencies. It is the time to act. Go back to your segments, gather your cadre and local leaders, and get back to work. Spend at least 21 days in your areas, meet people and talk to them about the state’s achievements under the BRS,’’ the CM told his party members.

He also asked them to take advantage of the 21-day-long celebration to mark the 10th anniversary of the formation of Telangana, scheduled from June 2, and take the message of the state’s advancements in the past nine years to the people. KCR talked about the “tremendous growth” the state has achieved in various sectors, including agriculture, and the various welfare schemes instituted by the BRS government.

Dismissing the Gujarat model as bogus, he told his colleagues to aggressively promote a “Telangana model of development”. “The Telangana Model is being talked about in many states. They are also emulating our schemes. We ensure development for all without any discrimination on the basis of caste or religion. We have done a lot of good work in the last nine years, and people are with us,” he said.

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Indian National Congress K Chandrashekar Rao telangana