BRS seeks revival through Vaastu and return to roots

BRS chief K Chandrasekar Rao

The President of Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) and former Chief Minister of Telangana, K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR), firmly believes in Vaastu and has faced several setbacks since the state assembly elections in November 2023. Despite ruling the state since its establishment in 2014, the Congress defeated the BRS party. Following this, the BRS leader sustained a severe fall, which led to hospitalisation for back surgery. In subsequent events, numerous party leaders defected to the Congress or BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

There has been a significant shift in Telangana's political scene in recent times. The BRS party has been in power for the last ten years, but party members believe that changing the name from Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) to BRS is when their fortunes started to decline. To counter this, KCR, the party leader, ordered changes to be made to the layout of their headquarters, Telangana Bhavan, using Vastu principles. He hopes that by doing so, the party's fortunes will change for the better.

BRS sources said that Vaastu experts have recommended modifying the interior of the office complex and the entrance and exit points of the Telangana Bhavan.

According to insiders, the party plans to use traditional methods to regain popularity after recent electoral losses. The party leader's strategy is to symbolically return to the party's roots by changing its name back to its original acronym.

Errabelli Dayakar Rao, a former minister and senior leader of the party, has disclosed insights into the party's internal discussions. According to him, the party is considering returning to its original acronym to regain the ground it has lost. Rao highlighted that the party had won elections twice under the original acronym but had faced electoral setbacks after changing its name. He emphasised the critical role of the party's identity in its electoral success.

In 2001, the TRS party was established and grew in popularity and recognition over the next two decades. The party retained its original name until 2022 when the general body unanimously passed a resolution to change the name to BRS. This name change aimed to help the party achieve national party status and participate in elections more broadly. However, some party members, such as Boinpally Vinod Kumar, a former MP and Telangana State Planning Board vice-chairman, feel that the name change has led to an existential crisis. They believe the party's soul has been lost, and the name change has robbed them of a powerful weapon. This sentiment is shared by KCR, who is also convinced that the rebranding has caused significant harm to the party.

In November 2022, the BRS won the Munugode byelection and then changed its name, which was approved by the Election Commission. However, some party members believe that this change weakened their emotional connection with Telangana's people, resulting in poor performance in the assembly elections. BRS leaders have privately acknowledged that the opposition, particularly Congress, capitalised on this loss of connection. They accused KCR of prioritising his national ambitions over the 'Telangana sentiment'.

KCR, the founder of the BRS party, had envisioned it as a political party with a pan-India presence, expanding into states like Maharashtra, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh. However, this ambition diluted the party's essence and alienated it from its Telangana base. The defeat in the 2023 assembly elections clearly indicated this disconnect, leading to introspection and reevaluation within the party.

To regain the trust and support of the Telangana people, KCR and the BRS leadership are contemplating a strategic retreat to their origins by restoring the TRS name. This move could rekindle the party's connection with its core supporters and potentially lead to a resurgence in its electoral fortunes.

KCR is planning to revive the Telangana movement again to gain public support, just like he had done successfully in the 2014 and 2018 assembly elections. This strategy aims to recover the party's lost political influence and revive its identity and principles, which many believe were compromised in pursuing broader goals. As they navigate these challenging times, the journey ahead for KCR and his party serves as a testament to the ever-changing nature of political identity and ambition in the vast and diverse landscape of Indian politics.