HYDERABAD: Former BSP state president RS Praveen Kumar, along with a few former party colleagues, joined the BRS in the presence of pink party chief K Chandrasekhar Rao at the latter’s Erravalli farmhouse on Monday.
Speaking to the media, Praveen expressed delight at joining the BRS as it gives him the opportunity to work under the leadership of KCR. “The aspirations of Telangana are same as that of Bahujans. The two ideologies will merge as naturally as confluence of Godavari-Pranahita and Krishna-Tungabhadra rivers,” he said.
He also revealed that the BSP chief Mayawati exerted pressure on him to end the alliance with the BRS. “I didn’t like that. That’s why quit the BSP to join the BRS,” he said.
While praising KCR as a leader who lives in the hearts of Telangana people, he said: “Many people criticised me after I decided to join the BRS. I am not after packages. If that was the case, I would have joined the Congress. I have joined the BRS without expecting anything.”
Stating that CM A Revanth Reddy had “gently” warned him against joining the BRS, he said: “Revanth also offered me the TSPSC chairman’s post. But I rejected the offer.”
“Revanth says that I will be answerable to people if I join the BRS. But I have freedom to take political decisions. Like Revanth, I too belong to erstwhile Mahbubnagar district. The CM should refrain from issuing such warnings,” he said.
To be appointed BRS gen sec
Meanwhile, KCR announced that soon he will appoint Praveen as a general secretary of the BRS. The former CM also rejected the claims being made by certain sections that his party suffered defeat in the Assembly elections due to the affect of the Dalit Bandhu scheme.
“Many people are saying that the Dalit Bandhu had impacted the BRS poll prospects. It is not true. A lot of people benefited from this scheme,” he said.