Rama Krishna Sangem
Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) president and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) begins his national mission from a functional yet swanky office at Sardar Patel Marg in Delhi at 1.30 noon on December 14, Wednesday. BRS will have an own building at Vasant Vihar in the national capital in a few months. Till then, KCR will work from this office. He will perform Raja Shyamala Yagam before taking his seat.
KCR went to Delhi on December 12 night and is expected to be there till this weekend. A host of leaders from the national opposition camp – right from SP’s Akhilesh Yadav to RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav and several farmers unions activists are invited to the opening of BRS office. KCR will hold talks with a range of other llike-minded politicians to chalk out strategies for both expanding BRS and unseating BJP from power in 2024.
As KCR is known for his meticulous planning and careful implementation of political strategies, this BRS journey too is being scripted in a systemic manner. The proposed talks with different opposition leaders will be at two levels. At first level, scouting for leaders or parties that are ready to either directly join or work with BRS. At next level, finding out ways to see that anti-BJP platform is strengthened.
KCR reaches out to Opposition parties
In this mission, KCR is reaching out to several politicians and parties which are keen on stalling BJP march in 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Though KCR is not ready to have any kind of talks with Congress at this stage, he will be open to such moves, only after Telangana assembly elections, which are scheduled to be held by December 2023. KCR is supremely confident of coming to power for a third term in 2023.
The national opposition space is very complex at this stage. On the one hand, Congress is trying to win more allies so that it can cross 150 MPs mark in 2024 elections. Winning Himachal Pradesh has boosted the party’s morale. Now Congress has three states – Rajasthan, Chattisgarh and Himachal Pradesh – in its hand, and is confident of wresting one more – Karnataka from BJP early 2023.
It is in ruling coalitions of Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Jharkhand and with opposition allies in Maharashtra. On the other hand, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is trying to expand its footprints across the country. AAP national leader Arvind Kejriwal too is ambitious and aggressive. After winning Delhi and Punjab, Kejriwal wants to project his party as an alternative to BJP at the national level, especially to the urban voters.
Now KCR will have to negotiate with these opposition parties in a patient way. As of now, he developed some sort of understanding with the two Left parries – CPI (M) and CPI – and JD (S) in Karnataka. Wooing certain parties which are in alliance with Congress may not be easy. But, a larger anti-BJP platform after 2024 LS elections, if PM Modi fails to muster 273 MPs, may not be difficult. That is the first stage of KCR’s goal.
