HYDERABAD: With the morale of BRS cadre and leaders at an all-time low after it suffered defeat in the Assembly polls and few MLAs and MPs defecting to other parties, pink supremo K Chandrasekhar Rao and senior leaders have started taking part in campaign events to raise the spirits of activists.
In particular, KCR’s roadshows are helping reinvigorate the BRS cadres and leaders with ‘new josh’ in Mahbubnagar and Warangal. Party working president and former minister KT Rama Rao and former finance minister Harish Rao are also filling the cadre and leaders with enthusiasm through their relentless campaigning.
The former chief minister’s consistent attack on the ruling Congress and Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy over their alleged failure to deliver uninterrupted power and irrigation water seems to have struck a chord with the people. KCR’s comments on power, water and paddy procurement issues are being circulated widely on social media platforms and making people sit up and think.
The party’s social media wing has also been very active in backing up the BRS chief and other key leaders by gathering people’s opinions on the issues raised by KCR, Rama Rao and Harish and making them go viral. It ensured that the alleged power supply disruption during KCR’s meetings became a subject of discussion on social media and even forced the government to go defensive and deny the charges.
On the other hand, the Congress social media wing seems to have been a bit slow on giving fitting counters to its BRS counterpart. It has also failed to gather relevant data to counter the allegations of the rival party. The BRS has been successful in gathering information on the issues affecting farmers, women and students, apart from drinking water woes, and circulating it on social media.
Another drawback the Congress suffers from is the fact that only Revanth is left to counter the allegations of KCR, Harish and Rama while ministers and senior leaders are proving to be ineffective as they are busy campaigning for candidates in the Lok Sabha elections.
Gaining ground
Following KCR’s whirlwind roadshows, the party is confident of gaining an edge in four Lok Sabha seats and securing second place in another three. But these developments seem to unnerve the Congress.
In the days before the voting takes place on May 13, the BRS is planning to launch a blistering attack on the Congress government and put the grand old party on the mat. It’s to be seen if the Congress will shed its complacency and launch a befitting counterattack on the rival.