KCR swings into action for Lok Sabha polls; Vinod Kumar, Koppula Eshwar for Karimnagar, Peddapalli seats

HYDERABAD: Entering into full action mode, BRS president and former Chief Minister Kalvakuntla Chandrashekhar Rao (KCR) convened a meeting on Sunday with top leaders from the Karimnagar Parliamentary constituency and Peddapalli constituency to assess the party's readiness for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

During the meeting, he declared the names of two candidates – Boinapally Vinod Kumar for Karimnagar and former minister Koppula Eshwar for Peddapalli seats in the forthcoming Parliamentary elections.

The BRS party will officially launch its campaign for the Lok Sabha elections on March 12 by conducting a massive public meeting in Karimnagar.

In the light of recent resignations of two MPs from the party and swirling rumours about the potential departure of three more MPs, KCR initiated an action plan to convey that the party remained resilient despite setbacks in the last Assembly elections. His detailed review meeting with top leaders at Telangana Bhavan marked his first actively taking upon himself the onus of boosting the sagging morale of the party leaders and cadres.

KCR, who underwent hip replacement surgery following an injury on December 7, was initially scheduled to visit Telangana Bhavan on February 17 for his birthday but had to postpone due to health-related issues.

During the interaction with party leaders, KCR urged them to concentrate on strengthening the organisation. He emphasised that the cadre should work diligently to secure victory in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Expressing concern about BRS leaders facing false cases in various districts, he provided several suggestions for handling the current situation.

KCR conveyed to the leaders that the primary contest in the Lok Sabha elections was between BRS and BJP. Despite the Congress party's narrow victory margin of about two percent in the Assembly elections, he asserted that it remained a weak contender in the Lok Sabha elections, lacking strong candidates in many constituencies. KCR reiterated that only the BRS could defeat the BJP in Telangana during the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

While the BRS had won nine seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the recent resignations of sitting MPs BB Patil of Zaheerabad and P Ramulu of Nagarkurnool, both of whom joined the BJP, had disrupted the party's equations.

BB Patil secured the BJP ticket from Zaheerabad, and P Ramulu's son Bharat is now the BJP candidate for the Nagarkurnool seat.

During the meeting, KCR exhorted the cadre not to get disheartened by the departure of some leaders to the BJP or other parties. He asserted that the BRS was as strong as it was in 2019, and those who left the party would regret their decision after the elections.

Announcing his return after a break for treatment following hip surgery, KCR assured the cadres that he would be available for everyone moving forward.