BRS works out compromise formula to accommodate KTR, Harish Rao

The leadership will ignore MLC K. Kavitha, firebrand daughter of party supremo K. Chandrashekar Rao, and her outbursts, leaving it to her to chart out her next course of action. Kavitha’s public appearance at the Kaleshwaram Pushkaralu on Monday, the first after her letter to “daddy” was leaked, would probably give clarity on whether she would reconcile and pause her rebellion or escalate her fight against those she described as “devils surrounding KCR”, which may eventually result in her exit from the BRS.

Sources told Deccan Chronicle that Harish Rao, unlike in the past, took serious note of the deliberate attempts to sideline him and apparently made up his mind that enough was enough. “It’s always a blow hot blow cold relationship between KCR and Harish. But never in the past had Harish either conveyed his displeasure or made any move to emphasise his position,” a senior leader pointed out to Deccan Chronicle.

Rama Rao rushed to Harish Rao to pacify him and made a genuine appeal to leave differences aside and jointly work to bring the party back to power. He is said to have stressed the need for unity, the absence of which would only help the Congress. Both were learnt to have discussed various strategies and Rama Rao even arranged for a meeting between Chandrashekar Rao and Harish Rao.

Sources said that while maintaining the status quo on leadership, a two-pronged strategy to bring back the lost glory of the BRS was arrived at, in principle. According to this, non-political organisations sympathetic to the BRS would be revitalised and used to spread anti-establishment sentiment.

“Employees organisations, RTC unions and apolitical organisaitons working for Lambada rights would be roped in,” sources said, adding that the division of work would be worked out between Rama Rao and Harish Rao. It was not yet decided whether the party activities would be shared between the two on the basis of regions, or according to activity.

Harish Rao, with charisma and a grassroots connect with the cadre, was seen as a potential threat to Rama Rao whose claim for the party’s reigns was largely based on his status as Chandrashekar Rao’ son. “It is quite natural and even Harish Rao would have done the same thing if he were in KCR’s shoes,” said a former minister close to Rama Rao. “It’s wrong to call the elevation as nepotism since KTR has proved his mettle,” he added.

Sources close to Harish Rao also claimed that the former minister was fully aware of the patriarchal dimension to the leadership which, like in any regional party, would be inherited by the kin of the founder. They also reminded of the strong resolve of Harish Rao to not go down in history as a backstabber of Chandrashekar Rao.

Trouble is said to have started post party’s debacle in the Lok Sabha elections with Chandrashekar Rao suspecting the integrity of his nephew and deciding to sideline him in party affairs. While Rama Rao toured the state on behalf of the party in the run-up to the April 27 silver jubilee meeting near Warangal, and Kavitha went around on her own, Harish Rao confined himself to his strong bastion Siddipet.

At the jubilee meeting, Harish Rao was seated away from the party president. Harish Rao, sources claimed, could prove to the first family that some party leaders had tried to poison Chandrashekar Rao’s ears against him at the behest of rival party leaders, in particular Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy.