Telangana polls: BRS’s ‘green signal’ on bonhomie with MIM, ‘red flag’ to Communists

HYDERBAD: While Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) released a list of 115 Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) candidates for the ensuing Assembly polls in the State on Monday, he also hinted at plans post the elections. In a significant development, KCR reiterated the continuation of friendship between BRS and the AIMIM.

“Together, we are confident to win all 29 Assembly seats in Hyderabad as well as 17 MP seats in the entire State,” KCR said while addressing the press at Telangana Bhavan.

The Chief Minister also signalled that the BRS was no more in an alliance with the Left parties, which left leaders of the CPI and CPI (M) shocked. It may be recalled that in the bye-elections held in Munugode in 2022, the BRS formed an alliance with the Left parties and won that seat. The Left parties thought that the alliance would continue in the upcoming general elections as well. But KCR released the list of candidates on Monday afternoon without giving seats to any Left leaders.

Kunamneni Sambasiva Rao, Secretary of the CPI, said that the party's State committee meeting would be held on Tuesday, to assess the future course of action.

Speaking about the national ambitions of the BRS, KCR said that post the conclusion of elections in Telangana, he would concentrate on strengthening the party across the country in phases.

“We are not in a hurry (with regard to our national plans). We will go national in phases. Several countries younger and smaller than us made good strides, while we lag on several fronts,” he said.

Speaking about his expansion plans in Maharashtra, KCR made a scathing attack on NCP leaders and termed them 'mad', referring to Sharad Pawar's nephew Ajit Pawar joining the BJP-Shiv Sena coalition Government.

"Sharad Pawar was in alliance with the Congress, he called me the 'B' team of the BJP. Now he has joined the BJP Government. That's why I call these people mad," he said.

The BRS chief was confident of people backing the party owing to their work. Stating that Telangana had emerged as a top performer in terms of per capital income, KCR said that the BRS Government turned around the fortunes of power sector from a power deficit State to a State that can provide 24-hour power supply.