Following a decisive defeat in the recent state assembly polls, leaders and cadre of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) are increasingly urging the high command to consider changing its name to Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS).
Party sources reveal that numerous party workers have expressed this suggestion to K T Rama Rao, the BRS Working President and son of former Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao. According to them, the removal of 'Telangana' from the party's name has seemingly led to a disconnection with the state.
Senior BRS leaders, including Rama Rao, are presently conducting a series of Lok Sabha constituency-wise preparatory meetings, starting from January 3. During these sessions, they are seeking input from the cadres and analyzing the reasons behind the electoral setback.
"In every party meeting, some leaders and cadres are urging the senior leadership to change the name to TRS. They believe that the absence of 'Telangana' in the party name has caused a disconnect with the people," revealed a senior BRS leader to PTI.
Another leader noted that although they are hesitant about the name change, expressing their reservations is challenging because K Chandrasekhar Rao, also known as KCR, is known for making tough decisions.
The decision to change the name to TRS is considered one of the top five reasons for the party's defeat in the assembly polls, according to the leader.
In 2022, KCR renamed the TRS as BRS with the aim of expanding the party's influence beyond Telangana. However, the setback in the Assembly election may have derailed these plans, and clarity on the party's direction is expected to emerge in the coming months.
The BRS (formerly TRS) was a formidable force even before the formation of Telangana in undivided Andhra Pradesh, championing the interests of the region. However, in the November 30 polls, the KCR-led party secured only a limited number of seats out of 175 in the assembly.