Three former comrades from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) have emerged as contenders in the Warangal Lok Sabha constituency, leaving the electorate puzzled, considering their close association till recently.
Aroori Ramesh, a two-time MLA from Wardhannapet Assembly segment as a BRS candidate, has now aligned with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as their nominee for the Warangal Lok Sabha constituency (SC). Conversely, Dr. Kadiyam Kavya, daughter of seasoned politician and six-time MLA from Station Ghanpur, MLA Kadiyam Srihari, once a mentor to Ramesh, is now vying for the same seat under the Congress banner. Additionally, the BRS has fielded Dr. Marepalli Sudheer Kumar, the incumbent Hanamkonda Zilla Parishad chairman, as their nominee for the constituency.
The rivalry, ostensibly between Kavya and her opponents, is indeed perceived by many as a showdown between Kadiyam Srihari and his former disciple Aroori Ramesh. Political pundits speculate that the BRS cadre might bolster Ramesh’s candidacy, considering various factors, including the reported need of the BRS party top brass to have close ties with the BJP due to personal interests. Adding to the complexity, Kadiyam Srihari is actively campaigning for his daughter aiming to secure a political legacy for his daughter risking his own future. Mr. Srihari won the same MP seat in 2014 general elections with a thumping majority as a BRS candidate. But his daughter has turned down the ticket offered by BRS to join the Congress in view of the major debacle for the BRS party in the Assembly polls.
The decision of candidates to switch allegiances after securing nominations has drawn criticism from figures such as Dr. Suresh Devath, founder-president of the Society for Public Welfare and Initiatives (SPWI), who deem it morally questionable, calling for stricter measures from the Election Commission of India (ECI). However, others opine that BRS lacks any political ideology since it was born to achieve separate Telangana State, that was already realised.
Analysing the unfolding scenario, Potlapally Veerabhadra Rao, an advocate and RTI activist, underscores the uncertainty of the electoral outcome, citing the BRS’ past performance and the absence of MLA representation in the Warangal Lok Sabha constituency this time. Moreover, analysts note the challenges facing the BRS nominee, given the reported exodus of party cadre to other political outfits including that of sitting MP Pasunuri Dayakar who defected to the Congress recently.
