An alliance between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) is likely in Telangana for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Few leaders in BRS have not ruled out an alliance or an understanding between the two parties to check the ruling Congress party.
BRS leader K. Kavitha’s reply to a question from media persons on Saturday appears to have given credence to the buzz in the political circles.
“This is beyond my understanding or capacity in the party,” she said when asked about the talk of a likely alliance between BRS and BJP.
“I have no awareness about the discussions happening between both these parties,” said Kavitha, daughter of BRS president and former chief minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao.
Unlike in the past, Kavitha did not straightaway rule out alliance with the BJP, which itself indicates a shift in the party’s approach.
Some BRS leaders have hinted at the possibility of an alliance between the two parties on the lines of BJP-JD(S) alliance in neighbouring Karnataka. A few months after losing polls in Karnataka, the BJP joined hands with the Deve Gowda-led party.
Like BRS, JD(S) was also strongly opposed to any tie-up with the BJP. However, it ultimately decided to have an alliance to check the Congress juggernaut. BRS leaders believe that there is a similar situation in Telangana after their party lost power to Congress.
The BRS seems to be under pressure with the Congress party consolidating itself by luring several leaders from the main opposition party to its camp. The BRS has also lost one of its nine Lok Sabha MPs to the Congress while some key leaders are also defecting for Lok Sabha tickets.
A section of BRS leaders believe that an alliance with BJP can help check the Congress, which has set the target of winning 12 out of 17 Lok Sabha seats in the state.
In 2019, BRS won nine Lok Sabha seats. The BJP had bagged four seats and the Congress three seats. The AIMIM retained Hyderabad seat.
In the new political equation in the state, BRS is finding itself on a sticky wicket. Some party leaders believe that an open alliance or a tactical understanding with BJP may help it retain the majority of the seats it won in 2019.
However, a section of BJP leaders is opposed to the idea of alliance with the BRS as they believe that the party is in a position to not only retain the four Lok Sabha seats but increase its tally by 1-2 seats. Some of them have reportedly conveyed to the party’s central leadership that any alliance with BRS may mar the party’s prospects as there is no major change on the ground since Assembly elections. They are of the view that BRS may face anti-incumbency in the Lok Sabha seats it won in the previous election.
The BJP leaders opposed to alliance with BRS also mention the fact that their party improved its tally in Assembly from just one to eight seats. They are also confident that with the Modi factor and considering the favourable environment for BJP in other parts of the country, it is in a strong position compared to the BRS.
The proposal for an alliance is believed to be under discussion at the top level. Though a section of state BJP leaders are opposed to the idea, the final decision will be taken by the party’s central leadership.