HYDERABAD: In the wake of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) listing BRS working president KT Rama Rao as A1 in the Formula E Race case, the pink party is likely to face rough weather going forward.
It is going to be a litmus test for party supremo and former chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao as to how he is going to respond to this situation, and protects the party to ensure that the cadre do not get demoralised.
The issue of FIR against Rama Rao could not have come at a worse time as the party is slowly pulling itself together after the release of BRS MLC K Kavitha from Tihar prison in Delhi liquor policy scam.
The party cadre wonder if Chandrasekhar Rao would come out of hibernation and lead the party from the front with ACB all set to commence its investigation into the Formula E Race case and Rama Rao’s role in the muddle.
The immediate need is that the former CM should keep the party cadre together by filling them with confidence that as an Opposition party it should be prepared for such setbacks.
Pressure on KCR
According to party insiders, there is a lot of pressure on Chandrasekhar Rao to come out and lead the party but it appears he is not inclined to take the plunge in party activities at this point of time.
There is a discussion going on in the BRS camp on whether the ACB case against Rama Rao is the beginning of the Congress’ second phase of engineering defections of the BRS MLAs. The BJP is also biding its time to land BRS MLAs.
Already the Congress has spirited away 10 BRS MLAs. With Rama Rao facing the ACB investigation, the MLAs might be tempted to make a fresh assessment of which side of the fence the grass is greener.
At the moment, the BRS MLAs are very aggressive in attacking the Congress but one wonders whether they would remain as confident, once the ACB begins its work.
Once the ACB moves in and begins raiding the premises of Rama Rao and that of his followers, the party leaders may not remain as confident as they are now.
They are also aware of the fact that Enforcement Directorate might move in once the ACB begins its investigation as the Formula E race case involves paying money in foreign exchange to a foreign company.