BRS to poache leaders from Cong & BJP ahead of municipal polls
KCR directs party leaders to lure leaders from other parties
BRS chief K Chandrashekar Rao has directed party leaders to poach leaders from other political parties, aiming to instil confidence among voters that the party continues to hold strength in the state.
In recent days, several leaders from Congress and BJP have joined the BRS, bolstering the main opposition party ahead of the municipal elections.
While the BRS chief was engaged in meetings with party leaders, notable politicians joined the party. Among them was former BRS MLA from Wardhannapet, Aroori Ramesh. Ramesh had earlier joined the BJP during the Lok Sabha elections but lost. He resigned from the BJP on Monday and rejoined the Pink Party on Wednesday, citing that he had been ignored and sidelined in BJP programmes.
Similarly, former Chevella MPP Vijay Bhaskar Reddy of BJP also joined the BRS in the presence of the party’s working president KT Rama Rao.
The BRS has also been attracting leaders from the ruling Congress party. Former Zilla Parishad vice-chairman M. Raji Reddy resigned from Congress and joined BRS with his followers, facilitated by party’s Mancherial president B Suman. Raji Reddy had alleged that Minister Vivek Venkataswamy was making unilateral decisions in Congress.
The BRSLP deputy leader Harish Rao was instrumental in bringing in leaders from Medak. Senior Congress leader Suprabhat Rao, a strong figure from Ramayampet with 25 years of experience, joined BRS in the presence of Harish Rao on Friday. BJP leader Mahender Goud from Narsapur also recently joined the party. A public meeting was organised in Medak to mark the entry of hundreds of Congress leaders into BRS, attended by Harish Rao.
A senior BRS leader said that the delusion is over now, noting that people have seen the two-year rule of Congress fail to deliver on promises. “Ruling party leaders are facing scrutiny on schemes like two tola gold under Kalyana Lakshmi, Rs 2,500 to women, and the unemployment dole. Hence, Congress leaders are gravitating towards the trusted party in Telangana, the BRS,” the leader said, adding that more leaders are expected to join in the future.
