HYDERABAD: There is a growing interest among the BRS leaders on whether party supremo K Chandrasekhar Rao will come out of his sabbatical and lead the pink party from the front in the wake of the police registering cases against the party leaders, including former MLAs and even linking working president K T Rama Rao to an incident of violence in Lagcherla.
The former CM has mostly been confined to his farmhouse at Erravalli after he lost the Assembly elections in December last year. It is said that he is guiding the party from his farmhouse on how to take on the Congress.
The party leaders wonder if Chandrasekhar Rao would come out with all his guns blazing in case police arrest his son and former minister Rama Rao. The possibility cannot be ruled out as police have mentioned his name in the remand report filed in the court at the time of producing former MLA Patnam Narender Reddy in connection with the violence that broke out in Lagcherla village in Vikarabad district on November 11.
The residents of the village allegedly attacked Vikarabad District Collector Prateek Jain and other officials when they went there to conduct a public hearing for land acquisition for a pharma unit. Police in their remand report accused Narender Reddy of instigating the youths of the village into attacking the officials and linked Rama Rao to the incident.
Another blow to cadre
The pink party leaders are discussing among themselves whether Chandrasekhar Rao would take charge of the party’s leadership as the cadre remain demoralised in the wake of the arrests of their colleagues in connection with the incident. In case police arrest Rama Rao, the leaders wonder if the party chief will come out of his sabbatical. Ever since the BRS lost elections in December last year, the party workers have remained demoralised. The recent arrests have dealt an additional blow to them.
Watching unfolding scenario
The party leaders say that Chandrasekhar Rao is watching the unfolding scenario and is guiding the party leaders as to what they should do next in dealing with the situation and going after Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy.
In case police arrest Rama Rao, the former CM would have to come out to lead the party as, if he does not, only T Harish Rao would be left to lead it. His daughter and MLC K Kavitha has been confined to her house after her release on bail from Tihar prison.
Party insiders say that their chief would come out and lead the party as Harish Rao may not be allowed to have “full leadership”. The party leaders feel that if Rama Rao gets arrested, the party’s core team, key followers and cadre would be demoralised. This is something the party wants to ward off at any cost.
The leaders are also not ruling out the emotional toll Rama Rao’s arrest would have on his father. He has already been through a lot of pain after Kavitha’s arrest in Delhi liquor policy case. If Rama Rao gets arrested, till such time he gets bail, and no one knows how long it would take, there has to be a leader for the party. To fill the void, Chandrasekhar Rao has to come out and take charge.
