Following the party’s defeats in the Assembly, Parliament and recent bypoll, several leaders are considering shifting to other political parties: Reports
NIZAMABAD: BRS leaders, especially former MLAs in the undivided Nizamabad district, are reportedly preparing to join the BJP soon. Following the party’s defeats in the Assembly, Parliament and recent bypoll, several leaders are considering shifting to other political parties. With local body elections approaching, many are planning their next political moves.
In the 2018 Assembly elections, the BRS won eight MLA seats in the undivided Nizamabad district. Congress MLA Jajala Surender of Yellareddy later defected to the BRS. However, in the 2023 Assembly elections, the party won only two of the nine seats, V. Prashanth Reddy from Balkonda and Pocharam Srinivas Reddy from Banswada. Pocharam has since quit the BRS and joined the ruling Congress.
In this context, former BRS MLAs continue to represent the party in Nizamabad Urban, Nizamabad Rural, Armoor, Bodhan, Jukkal, Yellareddy and Kamareddy constituencies. After the party’s defeat in the Cantonment and Jubilee Hills bypolls in Hyderabad, Congress candidates emerged victorious, further weakening the BRS morale.
Political circles are abuzz with talk that a two-time former BRS MLA may soon join the BJP. Some expect that a few senior leaders might join the ruling Congress as well. Within party ranks, there is concern that reviving the BRS before the upcoming elections will be difficult. Leaders admit that winning rural and urban local body elections could become a major challenge. Several leaders are expected to join the BJP in the coming weeks, sources said.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, a senior BRS leader, on condition of anonymity, denied reports that leaders from undivided Nizamabad would join the BJP or Congress. He recalled that similar rumours circulated during the 2018 elections. “We are committed to the BRS and especially to its founder K. Chandrashekar Rao and his family,” he said. He questioned how anyone would join the BJP or Congress when both parties were dealing with internal conflicts of their own.
