After dreaming big to create a non-NDA, non-BJP bloc at the national level not very long ago, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) is facing a serious challenge as it gears up for the Lok Sabha elections.

The party, which spearheaded the movement to achieve a separate Statehood for Telangana and won two back-to-back Assembly elections in 2014 and 2018, is on weak ground now.

After suffering a humiliating defeat in the December 2023 elections, it saw some top leaders leaving the party and joining the ruling Congress party and the BJP.

That five out of the nine Lok Sabha MPs joined the Congress and several of its MLAs gave enough hints that they are going to join the ruling party, shows the precarious condition that the BRS is in.

The party’s vote share fell to 37.35 per cent in the 2023 Assembly elections from 47.48 per cent in the 2018 elections as its seats fell to 39 from 88 during the period. Since the Assembly elections were held only three months ago, it is difficult for the party to make a dramatic comeback and win more seats in the LS polls.

By Monday, it announced the party’s candidates for all the 17 Lok Sabha seats in the State. It was not quite an easy task for the party to find suitable candidates for the upcoming election.

Former IPS officer and former President of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) RS Praveen Kumar (Nagarkurnool), former bureaucrat P Venkatrimi Reddy (Medak), industrialist Nama Nageshwara Rao (Khammam) are some of the key candidates from the party.

Defections

The BRS is also facing the challenge of some key leaders leaving the party ahead of the crucial polls. The list includes Ranjit Reddy, Chevella MP, who was considered to be the right-hand man of BRS Working President KT Rama Rao, and Danam Nagender, a city-based legislator.

Chief Minister and PCC President A Revanth Reddy had left enough hints that it is ‘opening gates’ (defections from the BRS).

Amidst a number of defections, the BRS could make a significant gain in the form of Praveen Kumar joining the party. After the BSP high command refused to ratify the tie-up between the BRS and the State unit, Kumar quit the party and joined the BRS. He is being fielded from Nagarkurnool in South Telangana.

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