Bharat Rashtra Samithi, which made a hue and cry over the defection of 10 of its MLAs into the Congress and was demanding their disqualification till last week, has now gone silent on its demand.
While the state high court on September 23 issued notices to these 10 BRS MLAs who defected to the Congress after the 2023 assembly elections without resigning from the pink party and gave them four weeks’ time to respond, the BRS has stopped talking about it.
According to highly placed sources, there were instructions from party president and former chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao to the party leaders including his son and BRS working president K T Rama Rao and nephew T Harish Rao not to make too much fuss about the disqualification of defected MLAs immediately.
Sources said KCR had told the party leaders that if the high court directs the Speaker to disqualify the defected MLAs, there is a possibility of by-elections to these 10 seats. But it is not sure whether the BRS would be able to win at least two or three seats out of these 10 and that would be an advantage to the Congress.
For example, there are certain MLAs who are very strong their respective constituencies – like Danam Nagender, Kadiyam Srihari, Bandla Krishna Mohan Reddy, Pocharam Srinivas Reddy, Arekapudi Gandhi, Gudem Mahipal Reddy, Kale Yadaiah and Tellam Venkat Rao. They can retain their seats if by-elections are held.
The BRS chief apparently told the party leaders that it would take some more time for the Congress party to face strong anti-incumbency to the extent of losing complete public support and the BRS to regain the confidence of the people.
“The anti-incumbency against the Revanth Reddy government has just begun, due to non-implementation of pre-poll promises, including Rythu Bandhu and Dalit Bandhu; besides demolition of houses of the poor people.The BRS leaders will continue to sustain the attack on the Revanth government and expose its failures, so that people will have no option but to look towards the BRS,” KCR reportedly told the party leaders.
If the Congress wins six or seven out of 10 seats in the by-elections, it will boost its image further and Revanth will become a hero. KCR doesn’t want that to happen.
It is likely that the BRS will insist on disqualifications again after putting up a good show in the local body elections, sources added.