There is speculation surrounding the possible shift in loyalties of Telangana TDP president Kasani Gyaneshwar Mudiraj to the BRS. It is reported that Kasani was disheartened after receiving orders from party leader Chandrababu Naidu not to contest the Assembly elections. In response, the BRS seems prepared to welcome Kasani into its ranks, with the formal joining expected in the next few days.
Previously, Kasani had declared that the TDP would contest in all constituencies in Telangana, aiming to revive the party’s influence in the state. However, a conflicting announcement by TDP scion Nara Lokesh stated that the party would not participate in the elections in Telangana. Kasani initially refuted this claim, saying he would clarify with Naidu and announced that T-TDP would contest in 89 segments. However, the TDP leadership subsequently changed its decision.
The TDP’s rationale for abstaining from the elections is that contesting would potentially split anti-BRS votes, favoring the BRS. This effect is expected to be most pronounced in areas with a significant settler population, mainly from the Kamma community, potentially jeopardizing the Congress’s chances of victory.
Some believe that the TDP’s decision was made to safeguard the Congress’s electoral prospects, as many key Congress leaders are former TDP members, including PCC chief Revanth Reddy. There’s also an issue regarding the BRS not allocating tickets to the Mudiraj community, despite their substantial voter base. To address this, BRS chief K. Chandrasekhar Rao has brought in several Mudiraj leaders into his party. It’s worth noting that CM KCR has shown sudden support for the Mudiraj community, possibly with an eye on the elections, and the BRS is making calculations to incorporate Kasani into their party.