Congress, BJP keep hooks ready for their catch from ‘vulnerable’ BRS pool

The pink party is on a shaky base after its Assembly poll debacle. Now, the arrest of KCR’s daughter, K Kavitha, has worsened morale of party cadre.

Hyderabad: As the battle lines are drawn with the announcement of Lok Sabha election dates, a resurgent Congress and an ambitious BJP have been engaged in an intense race to sideline the BRS, the regional party that was at the helm for almost a decade in Telangana after spearheading the statehood movement.

The BRS is already on a shaky base after its debacle in the Assembly elections last year. But now, the arrest of BRS chief K Chandrashekar Rao’s daughter, K Kavitha, over the liquor scam, has worsened the morale of the party cadre.

While both the national parties have unleashed Operation Akarsh (a process of wooing leaders of other parties) towards a “fragile” BRS, it appears that the Congress has won round one over the BJP.

The crossovers

The MPs — Ranjith Reddy (Chevella), BB Patil (Zaheerabad), Venkatesh Neta (Peddapalli segment), Pasnuri Dayakar (Warangal) and P Ramulu (Nagarkurnool) — have quit the party. While Ranjith, Dayakar and Venkatesh have joined the Congress, Patil and Ramulu crossed over to the BJP.

Sources in the pink party (known because of the BRS flag colour) told DH that in the next few days, many more MLAs are ready to jump the fence. In another development last week, former MPs, Godem Nagesh and Sitaram Naik, have joined the BJP, while BRS Khairatabad MLA, Danam Nagendra, joined the Congress .

Season of poaching

The two national parties have cast their net across the GHMC and north Telangana regions to poach influential BRS leaders. The two areas are significant because in the last year’s Assembly polls, both the Congress and the BJP drew a blank in the GHMC region, while the BRS had swept all the 20-odd seats. Of the total 39 seats, BRS bagged most of them from GHMC region’s urban segments and peripheral of Hyderabad, Ranga Reddy and Medak districts.

However, the BJP could improve its performance in the north Telangana region by bagging seven Assembly seats and standing second in 19 segments in the region.

There is speculation that the BRS MLAs are waiting for the LS polls to be over to weigh their options. Telangana CM A Revanth Reddy’s recent remark points to the Congress’ intention to empty the BRS house.

“In the past 100 days, you all have seen my performance as the chief minister. From now on until the polls, you will see my performance as PCC president. We have only opened our gates partially. If we open the gates fully, you will see what will happen,” Revanth had told reporters recently.

Tickets as rewards

The BJP has fielded Patil in Zaheerabad and Ramulu’s son Bharat Prasad in NagarKurnool. On its part, the Congress may “reward” Ranjith and Nagender with tickets to Chevella and Secunderabad segments respectively.

BRS ZP chairperson Patnam Suneetha Mahender Reddy has also joined the Congress.

‘Preying on weakness’

“It’s quite natural for any party to prey on the other party if it is on a weak wicket. Unfortunately, poaching leaders has become one way of strengthening the parties. The BJP has been trying to occupy the space of the BRS. But the Congress does not want the BJP to strengthen in the state. Naturally, there will be a race between the parties, which is what we are witnessing now in Telangana. The situation is only expected to heat up as polls come close,” senior journalist and political analyst Telakapalli Ravi told DH.