Ever since Bharat Rashtra Samithi president and former Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao returned to active politics after a long time on Sunday, political and media circles across the state have been abuzz on Tuesday with intense speculation over the possibility of changing the party name back as Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS).
The debate was triggered following KCR, while addressing party leaders and cadres, repeatedly referred to his party organisations as the “TRS Legislature Party” and the “TRS Parliamentary Party.”
The deliberate use of the former party name, without any immediate correction, led to questions over whether the remarks were merely a slip of the tongue or a calculated political signal.
According to political analysts, the repeated reference to “TRS” instead of “BRS” indicated a change of mind by the party supremo. They say in politics, such verbal choices are rarely accidental—particularly when made at a key organisational meeting.
Social media platforms were flooded with posts and video clips of KCR’s remarks, further fuelling speculation.
There was a similar talk immediately after the BRS party’s humiliating defeat in the state assembly elections in December 2023 and Lok Sabha elections in June 2024. But then, KCR had categorically denied any move to revert to the TRS name, stating that “nothing is doing” and that the party would remain BRS.
However, political observers note that dissent over the renaming of TRS to BRS—undertaken with national ambitions—had existed within the party even at the time of the change.
There was a criticism within the party that the removal of “Telangana” from the party’s name diluted its core identity, which was built on the statehood movement, and alienated a section of the cadre and electorate.
Some commentators have also linked the speculation to KCR’s well-known belief in astrology and religious rituals. According to this narrative, party setbacks after the renaming, combined with electoral failures outside Telangana and a loss of power in the State, may have prompted a rethink.
Analysts point out that national politics did not yield the expected dividends for KCR, and that his influence beyond Telangana remained limited. The emerging argument within political circles is that KCR may now be looking to refocus exclusively on Telangana, shedding the “Bharat” prefix and restoring the party’s original identity as Telangana Rashtra Samithi.
Whether the remarks were intentional signalling or an isolated instance remains unclear, but the discussion has reopened a critical debate on the future direction and survival of the BRS.