BRS shifts focus to dealing with discontent, devising campaign strategies

BRS shifts focus to dealing with discontent, finalizing strategies for electioneering. Tasking cadre to explain govt's work, manifesto. 93 sitting MLAs renominated, 1 changed. KTR counsels district leaders for unity. Manifesto to be released Oct 15, unlikely to include crop loan waiver. B-Forms to be given to candidates on Sunday.

The ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has shifted its focus to dealing with discontent within the party, particularly in the constituencies where aspirants other than the sitting MLAs were nursing hopes of getting an opportunity to test electoral waters, and also to finalise strategies for electioneering after the Election Commission announced the poll schedule on Monday.

It is learnt that the party will focus on meeting the electorate personally through door-to-door visits by tasking it to leaders at different levels and party ranks since it has the advantage of an early start to electioneering. The cadre would be tasked with explaining what the government had done in 10 years and what is in the offing through a manifesto.

The party leadership has renominated 93 sitting MLAs out of its strength of 102, including 88 elected on the party ticket in the 2018 elections and the remaining coming from other parties, including Congress, TDP, AIFB and others by shifting loyalty, in the 119-member Assembly. Of the 115 candidates named by the party so far, BRS was forced to change one candidate with Malkajgiri MLA Mynampalli Hanumantha Rao joining the Congress.

Party working president K.T. Rama Rao held a meeting with the district leaders of Jangaon here on Tuesday to counsel them for unity so that all three seats — Jangaon, Station Ghanpur and Palakurthi — are retained. BRS has changed candidates for Jangaon and Station Ghanpur and made sitting legislators Muthireddy Yadagiri Reddy and Thatikonda Rajaiah as chairmen of TSRTC and Rythu Bandhu Samithi, respectively.

“The party’s think-tank is busy giving final touches to the manifesto to be released on October 15 as also keeping an eye on the developments in the rival parties, Congress and BJP. The manifesto will offer more for the welfare of economically weaker sections but it is very much unlikely that there will be a crop loan waiver promise for the third time,” party sources disclosed.

On the talk of last-minute changes in the list of candidates announced in August, BRS sources rubbished it, stating that it was mind games being played by both Congress and BJP to create confusion. “The party leadership has belief in the good work put in by its government and that’s why it named candidates almost two months before announcement of the schedule. The candidates would be given B-Forms on Sunday and it will put full stop to all such talk,” a senior leader explained.

Sources stated that the party leadership is also expected to officially name the candidates for three seats held by the party now — Malkajigiri, Jangaon and Narsapur — as also for Goshamahal and Nampally on Sunday.