A new ‘formal or an informal alliance’ seems to be in the offing with certain leaders from both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) pushing for an ‘understanding’ for the Parliament polls even as a section of leaders in the BJP are strongly opposing it.
Top sources in the BJP’s Central leadership said that a couple of State leaders are trying to persuade the party high command to have an ‘understanding’ with the BRS in Telangana so that the Congress juggernaut could be halted. A ‘proposal’ to this effect is being pushed by a senior State leader with the BJP high command in New Delhi much to the chagrin of other leaders who fought BRS tooth and nail in last 10 years.
Their take is that the anti-incumbency against the BRS is still fresh in the minds of people and pushing for an alliance at this crucial juncture will be suicidal for the saffron party. This point of view has been put before the party top leadership. “BRS is not in a position to win more than two MP seats in any case. Why should we concede the ground to them rather than depending on Modi’s charisma,” is their argument.
They also state that several BRS leaders are deserting the party and there is a likelihood of many more leaving it for better opportunities with ‘Operation Akarsh’ of the Congress Party likely to get into upper gear. “BRS may be desperate but why should we be,” argued party sources from New Delhi while confirming that some Telangana leaders want to have some kind of understanding with the BRS if not a direct alliance.
Those in support of an alliance see the combined strength of the BJP and BRS which have won eight and 39 seats, respectively, in the Assembly as a stronger force than the BJP’s own strength. Moreover, two of its stalwarts and sitting MPs — Bandi Sanjay Kumar and Arvind Dharmapuri — lost in the Assembly elections to the BRS candidates.
Rural Telangana that overwhelmingly voted against the BRS in 2023 Assembly elections has no big reason to shift from Congress within few months and vote for BRS or BJP. But their combined vote share, in case of an understanding or an alliance, can mar the Congress chances — is the argument of the other side pushing for an understanding.
Senior leaders opposing any alliance with BRS argue that their party got massive support from Muslims in Hyderabad, Rangareddy and Medchal districts turning the tide in their favour in urban areas where the BRS gained maximum. But the majority Muslim vote this time may go with the Congress as the Modi factor comes into play.
“BRS is anyway losing the Muslim vote in the urban areas while it lost their support in the rural areas in the Assembly elections itself. They have no new section to gain,” is another point which is being buttressed. “Our BJP national leadership is busy with the national council meeting as of now and the top two (indicating PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah) will take a call on inviting new partners into the NDA later,” a senior leader, unwilling to be quoted said.
