Telangana is about to hold its third term of assembly elections following the state’s division in just one month. In an intense struggle to hold onto power for a third term in a row, the ruling BRS party, led by Chief Minister KCR, is up against the two major national parties, the Congress and the BJP. The election is scheduled to take place on November 29 and the results will be declared on December 3.
KCR, who also heads the BRS, is currently grappling with a wave of defections within his party. Several second tier BRS leaders across various constituencies have defected to the Congress in recent days, leaving KCR visibly frustrated. Despite KCR’s warnings to his ministers and senior leaders to mediate and prevent these defections during this critical phase, the exodus continues, and it threatens to jeopardize the party’s prospects in the upcoming elections. KCR has reportedly reprimanded these leaders for their inability to quell the internal dissent within the party ranks.
In an attempt to gauge public sentiment and assess the party’s performance, BRS has established special war rooms in every constituency. KCR and his team are meticulously monitoring the party’s election campaign across the state through these specialized rooms. They are keeping track of dissatisfied leaders at the village and mandal levels and advising the respective MLAs to engage with them. However, many of these MLAs seem unfazed and appear to be disregarding KCR’s advice with an ‘I don’t care KCR’ attitude.
Despite the extensive groundwork and strategic planning, key leaders have continued to leave the party in several major constituencies, including LB Nagar, Zaheerabad, Nalgonda, Malkangiri, Nagarjuna Sagar, among others. Moreover, prominent Members of the Panchayat and Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituencies have also resigned in recent days, finding refuge in the Congress party. These developments are causing considerable concern for KCR and the BRS, as the upcoming elections are shaping up to be a tightly contested battle. The resignations and defections not only demoralize the party but also significantly impact its chances of victory, making KCR and his party restless as the election date draws near.