Hyderabad: The BRS leadership is set to escalate its pressure tactics against the government over the Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation (PRLI) project. Party leaders are currently finalising dates and venues for three major public meetings, which are expected to take place shortly after the Sankranti festival in January.

Following a scathing press conference by BRS President K Chandrashekar Rao regarding the irrigation scheme, the party has shifted its focus to a full-scale agitational path. Sources indicate that leaders are holding district-wise strategy meetings to corner the Congress administration. A senior party leader claimed the ruling party has been forced into a defensive posture, noting that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and several ministers have felt compelled to respond, signalling that the government is on the back foot.

The planned public meetings are a strategic move to reclaim political ground in Southern Telangana, a region that proved decisive for the Congress in the 2023 elections. With MPTC and ZPTC elections which are fought on party symbols approaching after the recent Sarpanch polls, the BRS is determined to bounce back. "The party cannot take chances and must regain its momentum in these local body elections," a BRS insider remarked.

While Rangareddy district leaders have tentatively selected Parigi as a venue, locations for Nalgonda and Mahabubnagar are still being finalised. Historically, Chandrashekar Rao avoids launching new initiatives during the Sankranti period, making a post-festival start highly likely. In addition to the rallies, the BRS plans to engage farmers and intellectuals through village-level pamphlets and 'Dappu Dandora' a traditional drum-beating announcement method to highlight the perceived injustice in the Krishna basin districts. With Assembly sessions expected to be brief, the party intends to start the new year with renewed vigour to protect the state's irrigation interests.