The sudden decision by the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) to boycott the Telangana assembly session has triggered intense political debate, making analysts wonder whether it was a strategic mistake by party president K Chandrasekhar Rao or a deliberate move to weaken his nephew T Harish Rao.
The controversy comes against the backdrop of sustained attacks on Harish Rao by KCR’s daughter and BRS MLC Kalvakuntla Kavitha, who has repeatedly alleged irregularities in the Palamuru–Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme.
These allegations have given a new weapon to the Congress government led by chief minister A Revanth Reddy.
In recent weeks, KCR stepped up the attack on the Congress government by taking up the Palamuru–Rangareddy project as a new political issue. He even announced that he would launch a statewide agitation.
Naturally, Harish Rao, who served as irrigation minister during the BRS regime, emerged as the party’s key defender on the issue and had begun aggressively countering the Congress government’s criticism.
While K T Rama Rao has largely stayed away from the irrigation debate—given his limited association with the subject—Harish Rao has been increasingly visible, taking on the Congress both inside and outside the assembly.
As Revanth Reddy announced a probe into alleged irregularities in the Palamuru–Rangareddy project, the assembly session would have given an opportunity to the BRS leadership to launch a counter-offensive and present its stand.
Significantly, Harish Rao had publicly challenged the Congress government to hold a 15-day assembly session, asserting that he was ready to demolish its allegations on the floor of the House.
However, in a dramatic turn, KCR abruptly announced a boycott of the assembly, leaving Harish Rao visibly stunned.
With little room to manoeuvre, Harish Rao cited denial of speaking opportunity as the reason for the boycott and quietly exited the House, a move that political observers say undercut his combative posture.
After issuing aggressive calls for a “water war” and threatening to “expose” the Congress, KCR once again retreated from the assembly and quietly returned to his Erravelli farmhouse, leaving the battle field to Harish Rao.
Analysts argue that the boycott handed the Congress government a political advantage, allowing it to mock the opposition for “running away” from debate.
“If the BRS leadership was confident of its defence on irrigation decisions, it should have listened to the government’s PowerPoint presentation in the Assembly, pressed the Speaker for equal opportunity, and only then considered a walkout or boycott. Such a move would have strengthened Harish Rao’s standing and helped the party’s stand,” an analyst said.
Instead, the boycott is being viewed as a self-inflicted political setback for the BRS.
With both Kavitha and Revanth Reddy alleging that Harish Rao “sold” Palamuru–Rangareddy project packages, the decision to avoid assembly proceedings has raised suspicions that the party leadership did not want these issues formally recorded in legislative proceedings.