Ahead of Lok Sabha polls, BRS leadership faces challenge of holding its flock together

Opposition party BRS faces defections to Congress and BJP, struggling to maintain power and influence in Hyderabad.

hyderabad

Hardly three months after being for pushed out of power by the electorate, the Opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) appears to be finding itself at the receiving end of what it had practised since 2015, encouraging defections from other parties, with desertion of the party by its leaders continues unabated.

As the migration of BRS leaders into the ruling Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) continues seeking greener political and power pastures ahead of the elections to Lok Sabha, the BRS leadership is left with no option but to put up a brave face, ruing the leaders who enjoyed power and posts giving it a slip at a time when the party is hoping to redeem its lost pride at least to some extent.

At the same time, both the Congress and BJP are trying to weaken BRS as much as they can by weaning away leaders who have following to some extent or the other. The BJP has succeeded in attracting two sitting MPs, two former MPs and two former MLAs among others. On the other hand, the Congress has lured one sitting MP, a former Mayor and several former MLAs and other leaders.

The Congress leadership is allegedly trying to split the BRS Legislature Party by luring enough MLAs to escape the anti-defection law provision as the BRS did with it twice. The BRS had also split the Telugu Desam Party strength in the first Telangana Assembly and merged with it BSP, CPI MLAs in the first and TDP MLAs in the second Assembly too.

“The BRS (TRS) has witnessed many ups and downs since inception in 2001 with the Congress party even going to the extent of splitting the Legislature party after 2006. But, every time the party has risen like a phoenix as our priority has always been the interests of Telangana unlike the rivals”, a senior party leader said when contacted.

Migration of leaders is also taking place at local bodies level too with the BRS councillors and corporators moving towards the ruling party making it clear that the party is set to face tough times ahead.