HYDERABAD: The speculation surrounding a potential merger of the BRS with either the BJP or the Congress continues to dominate political discussions. Despite these theories seeming far-fetched, they remain a focal point of debate.
Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has suggested that the BRS might merge with the BJP, with KCR potentially becoming a governor, KTR a Union minister, and T. Harish Rao the leader of the opposition in the Assembly. Reddy's remarks have sparked lively discussions about the likelihood of such a merger.
In response, Union Minister of State for Home Bandi Sanjay Kumar countered that the BRS is more likely to merge with the Congress. According to Kumar, if this occurs, KCR would become the AICC president, Kavitha would join the Rajya Sabha, and KTR would be appointed as the PCC president. Kumar also questioned Revanth Reddy's claims, suggesting that if the BJP were truly involved, Delhi's former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, along with BRS MLC K Kavitha, would already have received bail.
Kumar criticized Revanth Reddy for not pursuing charges against former Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, KT Rama Rao, and T Harish Rao in connection with the phone-tapping case and Kaleshwaram scam, implying a possible alliance between the Congress and BRS.
BRS's Stance
Amidst these speculations, BRS working president KT Rama Rao dismissed the merger theories as baseless. He asserted that the BRS remains strong and has a vision to remain influential in state politics for the next 50 years. The frequent speculation around BRS mergers, particularly during visits to Delhi, is viewed by BRS leaders as a tactic used by the BJP and Congress to distract from other pressing political issues.
BRS leaders argue that if a merger were being considered, discussions would have occurred soon after Kavitha's arrest, not now as she approaches bail. They believe the ongoing merger talk is a strategy by both parties to undermine the BRS ahead of upcoming local elections.