Hyderabad: Alleged internal divisions within the Telangana BJP have significantly weakened the party’s position in the state. The BJP and the BRS have been unable to reach a consensus on their approach towards the Congress party in the current political landscape. As both parties view the Congress as a common adversary, reports suggest that the BJP and the BRS are now preparing to independently confront the Congress.
Party sources indicate that the BRS’s primary focus will be on countering the Congress, while the BJP has adopted a more lenient stance towards the BRS. In either case, the main contest will be between BRS-BJP, and the Congress, resulting in a direct face-off with the latter.
Recently, former minister Mohammed Ali Shabbir, claimed that the BJP and BRS parties had entered into a secret agreement and that K. Tarakarama Rao’s covert trip to Delhi was evidence of this. He said that the alliance between the BJP and BRS parties had been uncovered and that it was now obvious the two organisations were one and the same.
Political observers note that the Congress’s prospects in Telangana have improved following the Karnataka elections. The BJP, caught off guard by their defeat in Karnataka, has faced internal dissatisfaction and grievances against the state leadership, leading some leaders who had joined from the Congress to contemplate a return to their former party.
Telangana Chief Minister KCR aims for a third consecutive term in power, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi eyes a third term at the national level. Consequently, both parties have allegedly decided to politically support each other to achieve their respective goals.
The Congress, alleging that KCR is acting as the BJP’s “B team” at the national level, has excluded the BRS from participation in opposition alliance meetings. In response, KCR is believed to have struck a secret understanding with the BJP to safeguard their mutual interests at both the state and national levels.
While the BJP has taken a softer stance towards the BRS, the latter has decided to target the Congress as a goodwill gesture. This growing popularity of the Congress has unsettled both like-minded parties. Internal conflicts and dissension, which were once characteristic of the Congress party, have now permeated into the BJP and the BRS.
The question remains as to how the Congress party will counter the joint strategy of the BJP and the BRS. National leaders, particularly Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, will embark on visits to announce election promises aimed at different sections of society. The Congress manifesto is scheduled to be released on September 17, with Sonia Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge expected to be present at the unveiling.