Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy in the State Legislative Assembly on February 8, 2024.
| Photo Credit: By Arrangement
The alleged “tacit understanding” between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) figured in the Telangana Legislative Assembly once again on Friday.
The issue came up during the Motion of Thanks to Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan's address to the joint sitting of the legislature when the members of the Treasury Benches alleged that the BJP and the BRS had an understanding between them. Former Speaker and BRS MLA Pocharam Srinivas Reddy strongly objected to the remarks claiming that the BRS had no understanding whatsoever with the BJP.
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy who intervened in the discussion recalled how BJP and BRS, then TRS, were together in the election to the legislative council in 2011. Three TRS MLAs went ahead to vote for the candidate suggested by the then Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy and were expelled from the party. They were however taken back into the party fold subsequently.
The Chief Minister recalled how the BRS supported the Bills introduced by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi Government including the “black bills” pertaining to farmers in the Parliament. “The BRS and the BJP have same thought process,” he said.
He alleged that BRS president and former Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao decided to quit the Chief Minister post following internal pressures. He met the Prime Minister and sought his support for making his son K.T. Rama Rao as his successor. Mr. Modi however was not inclined for this and revealed the development during one of the election meetings later.
“Why did Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao seek the support of the Prime Minister for making his son as Chief Minister? I am ready to reveal more such things if you (members) are interested,” Mr. Revanth Reddy said. Mr. Pocharam Srinivas Reddy admitted that three MLAs voted against the party’s decision in 2011 but said the BRS had no reason to seek the Prime Minister’s support for electing Mr. Rama Rao as Chief Minister.
“How is the BJP concerned with this? We had 100 MLAs in the House who could elect the Chief Minister but the party (BRS) members had no intentions for change in the guard,” he said.
