Bharatiya Rastra Samithi, which was once tipped to be emerge as the strongest regional political party that could call shots at the national level, seems to have turned into a shadow of its former self after the poor electoral performance in last year’s assembly elections and the recent Loksabha elections. While losing in the last year’s polls was a huge setback, the decimation in parliament elections is turning out to sound a death knell to future of KCR’s party.
Ever since the Congress party under the leadership of Revanth Reddy came to power in Telangana, many leaders of BRS started deserting the party on various grounds. Already 8 MLAs who won on BRS ticket in assembly elections last year defected into the Congress party despite a lot of hue and cry from KCR and his cadre over anti-defection law.
On Friday, Rajendranagar MLA Prakash Goud quit BRS and took shelter under the Congress party in the presence of Revanth Reddy. Along with MLA, a couple of municipal councillors from the constituency also jumped ship. He was the eight MLA of BRS to join the Congress party. After the Loksabha results, the exodus of BRS MLAs is unstoppable.
Close on heels to this development, another MLA gave shock to BRS on Saturday morning. Sherlingampally MLA Arkepudi Gandhi jumped into INC in the presence of Revanth Reddy. Gandhi along with several corporators in his constituency and many followers called on Revanth at his residence in Jubilee Hills today morning and announced his joining into the party.
Despite strong efforts from the BRS leadership to stop these defections, many MLAs are in a dilemma as some of their colleagues have already left the party. The BRS chief K Chandrashekhar Rao recently called for a meeting of city MLAs to send a strong signal of his control over the party. Interestingly two MLAs who attended that meeting – Prakash Goud and Arikepudi Gandhi shifted loyalties within days.
The BRS is now left with only 29 MLAs out of 39 as Congress secured the Secunderabad Cantonment seat in By-election and remaining 9 MLAs defected including the one today morning.
