HYDERABAD: In the wake of its MLAs defecting to the ruling Congress, problems are mounting for the BRS in various Assembly constituencies represented by the defectors. This has led the pink party leadership to focus on identifying new leaders to rebuild confidence among party cadres and activists in the affected segments.
BRS working president KT Rama Rao is spearheading the efforts to identify and encourage potential leaders in the 10 constituencies where MLAs have defected. However, filling these leadership gaps ahead of the upcoming local body and municipal elections is proving to be a complex task.
Rama Rao has been conducting meetings with second-rung leaders who have remained loyal to the BRS, and his aides say that the plan is to announce new party in-charges for these constituencies sooner than later. However, the problem is that many of these second-rung leaders are still aligned with the defected MLAs, making it difficult for the party to rebuild morale and organisational strength.
Identifying new leaders
In constituencies such as Serilingampally, where MLA and PAC Chairman Arekapudi Gandhi has defected to the Congress, the BRS has shifted its focus to identifying new leaders.
The party faces similar issues in other constituencies, including Gadwal, Bhadrachalam, Banswada, Rajendranagar, Khairatabad, Chevella, Patancheru and Jagtial which are facing leadership void.
In Banswada, the party is considering former MLA Enugu Ravinder Reddy, an experienced BRS leader who contested against MLA Pocharam Srinivas Reddy in the 2023 elections.
In Station Ghanpur, former deputy chief minister Dr Rajaiah, a long-serving leader from the segment, is working as the in-charge after MLA Kadiyam Srihari’s defection to the Congress.
However, in constituencies such as Gadwal, BRS is facing greater difficulty. The defection of sitting MLA Krishna Mohan Reddy and former ZP chairperson Sarita Tirupataiah has left the party with no strong leader to guide the local cadre.
Reactivating veterans
Similarly, in Bhadrachalam, the party is in talks with veteran leaders to reactivate their political roles. Chevella remains leaderless though former minister Sabitha Indra Reddy’s son, Karthik Reddy, is trying to retain control over the cadre. However, since the seat is reserved for SC candidates, the party faces a problem here.
In Khairatabad, the BRS is likely to appoint Dasoju Sravan, who has shifted from Congress to BJP before joining the BRS, as the party in-charge for the segment. Meanwhile, Rajendranagar, Serilingampally, Patancheru, and Jagtial are facing similar leadership shortages.
These leadership gaps could impact the chances of the BRS in the upcoming elections. Ground-level leaders are urging the party to address the issue urgently, fearing that remaining second-tier leaders may follow the defectors if the situation is not resolved swiftly.