HYDERABAD: In stark contrast to the BJP, it was an eminently forgettable year for the BRS. The party, which ruled Telangana for the first 10 years of its formation, was left battered and bruised due to electoral setbacks, defections, and investigations. The party’s strength fell to 38 in the Assembly after 10 MLAs and six MLCs crossed over to the Congress. Senior leader K. Keshava Rao also resigned from the BRS to rejoin the Congress.
The Lok Sabha elections brought no relief the pink party failed to win even the Medak seat, despite it being the native constituency of party supremo K. Chandrasekhar Rao. The only silver lining for the BRS came with the release of MLC K. Kavitha, who had been in jail for months following her arrest in the Delhi liquor scam.
Party working president KT Rama Rao is being investigated by the ACB and ED for the alleged misuse of public funds, while inquiries into the Kaleshwaram project and PPAs finalized during its rule have cast a shadow over the party’s legacy.